Last Tempation of Odo
by Creek
Summary: Mission of mercy to a planet and a plan only the Dominion could devise. Meanwhile, still suffering from the events of In Sunshine, Odo must face some very personal demons.
1. Default Chapter

**The Last Temptation of Odo **

By 

Creek Johnson and Nance Hurt

* * *

Disclaimer: We are but fleas on the elephants' posterior that is Paramount.

No infringement on their rights is intended. We hope none is taken.

* * *

She was not sure exactly what had awakened her. A habit long ingrained by years in the Resistance brought her to full wakefulness at the slightest disturbance of the stillness of the room. She lay awake, her eyes searching the darkness, her ears listening for any sound that did not belong.

After a moment she relaxed, convinced she must have just been dreaming. She reached for the only other occupant of the room. He lay still, pooled against her. Satisfied all was well, she settled herself for sleep. 

In the twilight that lies between the conscious and subconscious, she heard the voice quite distinctly. It resonated in her mind - one puzzling word. 

"Choose."

* * *

In a quiet corner of the habitat ring, in offices set aside for auxiliary Station personnel, lay the office of the Station's counselors.

Ezri Dax glanced at her patient. He sat bolt upright on the couch, arms crossed defensively across his chest. She considered it a mild triumph that he was finally willing at sit at all, considering that over the last four weeks he usually paced the duration of the appointment. 

"Odo?" she prompted him gently. "We were discussing the events of this morning…" 

He started at the sound of her voice and, not for the first time, she wished she were a Vulcan, assuming of course, that a mind meld would work on a Changeling. All eight previous hosts were dying for a chance to get a glimpse into how the mind of the Station's former Chief of Security worked, and if truth were told, Ezri was as well. 

"This morning?" he asked cautiously. 

"Quark's?" 

"Ah, of course." 

Ezri thought for a moment he almost looked relieved. 

"I…" He began and then seemed to change his mind. He leaned forward slightly and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Do you have any idea…"

* * *

"Do you have any idea what it is like to walk into a room full of strangers and not know if they are in fact strangers, or you have just forgotten who they were?" asked Kira. She sat forward and looked Ezri straight in the eye. "That's the reality Odo has to live with every day. Of course he's depressed. Of course he wants to blow off a little steam. Who wouldn't?" 

Ezri stifled a smile. Odo had said almost exactly the same thing during his session. However, she knew Odo was holding something back, something he resolutely refused to discuss she suspected not only with her but with anyone. As much as she disliked having to talk to others about her patients, she had to recognize that Odo's silence was getting them nowhere and, the more she understood his actions, the faster she could get to the bottom of what was eating Odo and try to find a way to help him cope. 

"No," Ezri replied honestly. "My problem is generally the opposite. After eight lifetimes you find you don't meet many strangers, although it usually takes me awhile to figure out why I know someone. But we were talking about this morning…" 

"I fail to understand why everyone wants to know about the fight this morning. Why this fight? There are fights in Quark's all the time." 

"It's not this particular fight, or any of the other fights. The problem, as I see it, is that for two weeks Odo worked with Engineering doing the more difficult to reach jobs. The work seemed to take him out of himself and during that time he seemed to be adjusting. Then two weeks ago, for no reason, he quits. Ever since, there is a fight every time Odo goes into Quark's and as his counselor it occurs to me that there is a pattern to these incidents." 

Ezri thought for a moment Kira was going to refuse to cooperate any further. It was risky asking Kira in the first place, considering how fiercely she seemed to protect Odo. Kira looked as though she was going to argue, but after a moment, her body relaxed and with a sigh, she placed her hands on the desktop. 

Little did Ezri realize there were particular things about Odo's return to the Station that Kira could not discuss with anyone. 

"Odo quit working for Engineering," replied Kira, at last. "Because he found overhearing conversations to be an embarrassment…" 

"I am assuming a few of those conversations were about him," ventured Ezri. 

Kira nodded. "More specifically," she replied, "about us." 

The particulars of Kira and Odo's sex life had long been fodder for Station gossip, Ezri thought, with a slight smile. Even Jadzia had done her bit to fuel a lot of speculation on the subject. Okay, she thought, that explained some things, however, it did not entirely explain Odo's recent behavior. "I see," she said. "But this morning?" 

"I was to meet Odo for lunch," Kira replied. "I was running late and Odo went early to secure a table and as I walked into the bar…"

* * *

"So," said Quark, "Odo walks into the bar. Well, no, I take that back, he never just walks into any room. He lurks in the doorway first as though he's expecting criminal activity to break out at any second. As though it would be any of his business." He stopped cleaning the bar, flipped the bar towel over his shoulder and leaned forward. "Tell me Counselor, why do you want to know about this fight anyway?"

Ezri merely tilted her head to one side and raised an eyebrow. 

"Counselor-Patient confidentiality," he replied, holding up his hands in surrender. "But what about Bartender-Client confidentiality?" 

"The fight…" 

"Face it, Counselor, we're in the same line of business and you know it. What say you and I do a little…collaborating?" 

"Quark," she warned. 

"I'm thinking," he said, placing his elbows on the bar and resting his chin on one cupped palm. "That you're thinking that Odo is in some way responsible for all these fights. That you're thinking that he hangs out in here actually looking for a fight." 

"And just why would I think that?" she asked, placing her elbows on the bar in imitation of his stance. 

"Because you think he's depressed. Because you think that since he stopped doing little odd jobs for Engineering that he comes here to relieve the monotony of the day and the fights are a way of putting a little excitement back into his life." 

"Maybe." 

"Maybe you also think it could be an indication of a larger problem - that he might be just a little self destructive. Well?" he said, meeting her gaze. 

"I think," she replied, taking a look around. The bar was not crowed, but there were more people there than she would have liked. "You and I need to take a look at your storeroom." 

"With pleasure," said Quark, tying to play it cool. He quickly signaled to one of the waiters to watch the bar and glanced over his shoulder as he escorted her to the back. Excitement quickly turned to disappointment when once reaching the storeroom, Ezri sternly ordered him to sit. 

"Talk," she demanded. "This morning…" 

He gave her what he hoped was a rueful grin. "This isn't exactly what I had in mind when I suggested we collaborate." 

"Quark." 

"Okay. Odo comes in this morning and heads for the only empty table." 

"How did he seem?" she asked. 

"Gloomy as always. It's Odo we're talking about here, how do you expect him to seem?" 

"Okay. He goes to the table." 

"Half way there, this Human stands up and blocks Odo's way." 

"And what did Odo do?" 

"He just stood there, staring the man down. Which was odd, as this wasn't the kind of guy who would start a fight an expect to win." 

"Describe him," said Ezri. 

"Older. Human. Not in the best of health. I figured something was up, so I went over to see if I could cool things down." 

"And did you?" 

"Didn't have to. It turns out the Human was one of the Hero School." 

"Hero School? What does that mean?" 

Quark made himself more comfortable. "You Starfleet types ought to get out more often," he said. "Talk to anyone on this Station and you will find that on the subject of Odo they either think he's a hero for ending the War or a criminal for not ending it sooner. The Hero School wants to shake his hand and buy him a drink. The Criminal School wants to punch him in the face or kill him. This Human was of the Hero School." 

"I see." I do need to get out more often, she thought. 

"After he tells Odo this long story about how his son was on the Cardassian front, and how if the War hadn't ended when it did he was sure his son would have died, and how he wanted to thank Odo for doing what he did, when he did…blah...blah...blah. He offers to buy Odo a drink." 

"And Odo, what was he doing during all this?" 

"Odo? Odo hates the Hero School; you can see it all over his face. He was practically squirming while this old Human was droning on and on." 

"And then?" 

"Then Odo tells him that he doesn't drink. So the Human says he'd like to shake his hand, so Odo shakes his hand and practically falls all over himself trying to get away." 

"Then how did Mr. Kimbata wind up in surgery?" 

"Well, unfortunately for Mr. Kimbata, there's this Thraxian freighter docked at the Station and one of her crew was at the next table…" 

"And I take it the Thraxian is of the Criminal School?" 

"Exactly," agreed Quark. "And he's drunk. So when he stands and tries to take a punch at Odo, he loses his balance and hits Mr. Kimbata instead. All hell breaks loose after that and poor Mr. Kimbata gets caught in the crossfire." 

Ezri sat for a minute and gave the situation some thought. "Are all the fights like this?" she asked eventually. 

"Just about," agreed Quark. "Just the other day this Bolian wants to buy Odo a drink and when he says he doesn't drink the Bolian gets mad and takes a swing at him. Funny thing is, when it became clear that the Bolian wasn't going to take no for an answer, Odo gets this gleam in his eye. Same sort of gleam he used to get when he thought he had caught me out." 

"And you didn't do anything to stop it?" 

"Why should I?" asked Quark. "Odo's a big boy, he can look after himself. Besides that, I make money either way. I make it off those who come to the bar hoping to buy him a drink and I make money off those who just hang around hoping for a fight." 

"What I don't understand is why he keeps coming in here," said Ezri thoughtfully. "You say he hates being thanked and he can't possibly enjoy being the object of derision." 

"Can't he?" asked Quark. "Look, he understands derision, he understands people being suspicious of him, and he even understands people just out and out hating him because he's different. He knows where he stands with a person who wants to punch him in the face; he's dealt with people like that his entire life. What he doesn't know, is where he stands with one that wants to buy him a drink. What he doesn't understand, is people he doesn't even know thinking he's a great guy. He's never had to deal with that before. It would be hard enough for a normal person to deal with you can imagine how hard it is for a person as paranoid and suspicious as Odo, especially when he doesn't think he deserves it." 

"That's ridiculous," protested Ezri. "In the last month there have been four governments, maybe more, just within the Federation that have expressed a desire to give him a medal…" 

"And he's turned each and every one of them down. Why? It's not because he's modest, but because deep down in what passes for his heart he knows he doesn't deserve the honor." 

"Why would he think he doesn't?" 

Think about it Counselor," said Quark. "What was the big idea in the first place? Why did he really end the war?" 

Ezri gave it some thought. "So," she said, eventually. "He could save the Link and teach his people to get along with Solids." Understanding began to dawn on her. "But he only accomplished…" 

"He only accomplished one of those goals before the Link tossed him out…" 

"He failed. Failed himself and the Alpha Quadrant. Poor Odo," said Ezri, with a shake of her head. "What a terrible burden to carry. No wonder he's been a little self destructive lately."

* * *

"Poor Odo," said Mora Pol. "No wonder he's depressed. No wonder he hasn't returned my calls."

Kira looked at the man who played such an important part in Odo's early life and wished, not for the first time, that Mora wasn't so irritating. She did not pretend to understand the somewhat complex relationship Odo maintained with Mora but, then again, she never tried. She knew from long experience that any relationship with Odo was bound to be complex, but the rewards were worth the effort. 

However, the real reason in asking Mora to the Station was that something was bothering Odo, something he would not even discuss with her. As much as it hurt her to think that Odo would not confide in her, she had hoped he would eventually say something to Mora. 

"He's bound to blame himself for all of this," Mora's words caught her attention. "He always did tend to internalize everything. Which is why it's so unfortunate I will not be able to visit the Station as we had planned." 

"Why not?" Kira was surprised to find she was slightly disappointed. Granted, she had asked Mora to visit hoping it would take Odo's mind off his difficulties settling back into Station life and, although she had not been looking forward to having to spend any time with the bossy scientist, she had thought Odo would benefit from the visit. 

"Symposium on Karados Prime. One of the speakers had to cancel at the last minute and I've been asked to take her place. Of course, you could always send Odo to Bajor…" 

"I don't think that is such a good idea," said Kira, quickly squelching the idea. With Odo's memory still playing tricks on him, she did not want to be responsible for the consequences of turning him loose in Mora's lab. "Perhaps another time." 

"You may want to reconsider, Colonel." Mora was not pleased; the use of her title was a clear indication. "There's no telling what effect his time in the Link may have had on him. He may not ever be the same person."

* * *

"He may not even be the same person," ventured Flato Ray. "Do we even know if this is the real Odo?"

"What makes you think that?" asked Ezri. 

She sat in the Security Office and looked at the two officers before her. Try as she might, Ezri had never gotten used to the idea of John Marshall sitting behind the desk that had, in her mind, always belonged to Odo. 

"Come now, my dear Flato," remarked John Marshall, ignoring the presence of the Counselor. "The Colonel says he is Odo and I, for one, am inclined to take her word for it. And yes, before you ask, we do know for certain that the Colonel has not been replaced by a Changeling infiltrator." 

"It's just…" began Flato. "He's behaving so oddly lately. Not like the Odo I remember at all. Granted my appointment to the Station came late in the war…" 

"I would venture to say he is not the Odo you remember," replied Marshal. "Any one of us may change in two years time, why would he not as well?" 

"So, you plan on doing nothing about these fights?" asked Ezri. 

"Most assuredly something will be done," said Marshall with conviction. "However," I believe you will agree that we must tread carefully where our Mr. Odo is concerned. He was, after all, a security officer, if we were to place him under guard every time he stepped out of the Colonel's quarters, how long do you suppose it would take him to ditch his escort?" 

"Not long," agreed Ezri. 

"I concur. So, what I propose we do is step up our presence in Quark's and in the habitat ring. With any luck we can prevent anymore incidents from occurring." 

"But," protested Ezri. "That doesn't exact help address the problem." 

"My dear Lieutenant," said Marshall. "Hercules Poirot may be interested in the psychology of the individual but we do not have that luxury. We take care of crimes when they are committed and try to prevent them when we may. Babysitting is not one of our functions." 

"Just one question if I may?" asked Ezri. "Who is Hercules Poirot?"

* * *

In his quarters, he sat on the couch and stared unseeing at the padd he held in his hand. Try as he might to keep his mind on the book he was reading, his thoughts kept coming back to the matter than plagued him. 

Eventually, he stood and sat in front of the console. He did not need to see the message again, he knew every word by heart, but like a pulled tooth in a human, his thoughts like a tongue, kept running over the open wound. Without conscious effort his hands called up the saved messages stored in the Stations computer. 

Ignoring the accumulated unread messages of the last two weeks, most of which were marked urgent, it took him only a minute to find what he was looking for. His hand trembled as it hovered over the keys and, with a sigh, he pressed the command. The screen went black for an instant and the face of Commander Gevrik appeared. 

"Odo," said Gevrik, with customary Vulcan directness. "An official report has been filed with Starfleet, however, I felt it necessary to alert you privately. Fourteen days ago anesticine gas was pumped into the air ventilation ducts that supply the Science Facility on the Founders home world, with the result that all personnel were rendered unconscious for a period of two days." 

"The purpose of the attack it appears was to keep non-Dominion personnel out of the way while the planet was evacuated. We were left entirely alone without so much as a Jem'Hadar or Vorta remaining behind. No trace has been found of where the Founders have gone. We theorize the Dominion has developed a new method of masking warp signatures…." 

He stopped the recording in mid sentence, his hand hovering over the delete command for a moment before finally saving the message. He stood and picked up the padd, thumbing through the pages without actually seeing the words. 

"We were left entirely alone on the planet," Gevriks' voice sounded in his head. "No trace has been found of where the Founders have gone." Two weeks. The message was two weeks old when it was delivered. A month. A month he had been back on the Station. They had to have known. As soon as he arrived back on the Station, the Founders packed up and left. An evacuation of that scale must have been planned well in advance; they must have planned to leave him all along. 

He should not care, he thought, they were done with him. They made that painfully clear. He was no longer one of theirs, he never had been. He should not care. His grip on the padd tightened until it crumbled under his hands. 

Two years, he thought, two years of his life wasted. More than that, it was more than two years. What was it seven? Seven years wasted all for nothing? Wasted all in order to achieve some understanding. He had wished to give them understanding of the Alpha Quadrant. They understood all right. Understood only too well, and whatever plans they had now for the Alpha Quadrant would, in some way, have been done with his cooperation. Whatever they planned would, in a way, be his fault. 

An impotent fury raged beneath his carefully composed surface. Odo fought the urge to go to Quark's. Fought the urge to return to his old quarters and tear them apart with his bare hands. He stared at his hands and sighed. What if he were to destroy his old quarters? What if he were to vent his fury against every solid structure in the Station? 

Nothing, he thought with a bitter laugh. Nothing would be solved. 

He watched as the bits and pieces of the padd fell from his hands and wished, not for the fist time, that he could cry.


	2. Chapter 1

**The Last Temptation of Odo **

By 

Creek Johnson and Nance Hurt

* * *

Disclaimer: We are but fleas on the elephants' posterior that is Paramount.

No infringement on their rights is intended. We hope none is taken.

* * *

She sat at the crest of the hill and allowed her gaze to take in the valley below her. Spring was soon upon them. The updraft of the wind caught her, ruffling her hair, and she could feel the warmer currents swirl around her feet like playful kittens. The smell of spring blossoms reached her even in this high place.

She thought of the valley as it was long before the Outsiders came with their magic and their madness. Of a time when her people fought with real weapons and the valley was often littered with the dead. The Outsiders had changed all that and, though many thought it was time for them to leave, most were simply content to live their lives in peace. 

She felt rather than heard his presence. She shifted her weight to allow her sword to rest more comfortably in the scabbard she had strapped across her back, but made no attempt to draw her weapon. "It is Spring, Old One," she remarked, without turning her head. 

He shuffled beside her and perched awkwardly on one of the rocks. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He looked older than she remembered, but she knew better than to be deceived by appearances. 

"So it is," he remarked, his voice as serene as the ages. "And time once more for the Festivals." 

She knew how much he enjoyed the Spring Festivals, but she was not here to talk of his many amusements. "Do you think this year they will find him, Old One?" 

"Oh yes." His head bobbed like a child's toy. "This year will see the arrival of the poDosai." His voice was certain, although she thought she detected a note of sadness as well. 

"What will be, will be," she said, and was slightly surprised to detect a note of sadness in her voice also. "How will I know the poDosai?" 

Receiving no answer, she turned to find him gone. A voice echoed up from the valley. 

"You will know."

* * *

"Odo?"

No response. 

He sat on the couch in their quarters lost in thought. 

In the long two years of his absence, Kira often found herself thinking of what it would be like to see him again. If, after all that time, she would find him as cold and as withdrawn as he had been during his time with the Female Founder, while the Dominion occupied the Station. If, after all that time, his isolation had dropped a wall between them, a wall through which they would stare at each other without feeling – without love. 

By some miracle, they had been spared that. Despite the turmoil of his return, she was secure in the knowledge that she was loved as she loved in return. However, over the last few weeks he had begun slowly to withdraw into himself and she would find him sitting, as he sat now, lost in a place so far removed from her, that she despaired for him. If only she could find something to take him out of himself, even if for only a little while. 

"Hey you," she said, sitting next to him, curling herself into the crook of his arm, resting her head in the hollow of his shoulder. "Tough day?" 

She was pleased he no longer would start at her touch, although she only received a small grunt by way of greeting. She sighed, content with the feel of his arm around her. How she had missed coming home to him. How she had managed the two years he was away, she could not now imagine. 

"Finish you book?" she asked. 

"In a manner of speaking." 

"Too bad. I had hoped you would read a bit to me. Take my mind off the upcoming Conference on Future Economic Development. I'm not so sure that the Cardassian proposal is going to be well received on Bajor." 

"Well," he said. "Cardassia could do a lot more potentially destructive things than going into the commercial ship building business." 

She smiled softly to herself pleased he had not entirely lost interest in local politics. "True," she agreed. "But I'm afraid the Provisional Government will see it as an economic threat." 

"I imagine they will until you remind them that a Cardassia that builds and repairs ships for others, especially the Federation, is a lot less likely to be building warships of their own. Their empire is in ruins. All their former colonies have declared independence. They have no natural resources of their own. One thing Cardassia has always lacked is a way of getting capital without having to conquer other worlds to sustain it." 

"And this may be the way," she agreed. 

She went on to talk of the routine of her day. He listened to her in silence, allowing his thoughts to concentrate on the points where her body rested against his. The feel of her hair against his cheek, the gentle pressure of her breast against his chest, anything to keep from thinking about the Founders. 

It didn't work. 

"Odo?" 

He was startled out of his thoughts by her suddenly sitting up. 

"Odo, what time is it?" 

He blinked, not sure why she needed to know. "About 1930. Why?" 

"Come on," she said, jumping to her feet. "We're late." 

"Late for what?" 

"Dinner. The Landis' remember?" 

He reluctantly got to his feet. He had forgotten. "I fail to see why I was invited. I don't eat." 

"They know that," she replied, giving him an amused grin. "I have a sneaking suspicion Vivian is going to try and get you involved in the Starfleet Spouses Auxiliary she's organized." 

He suddenly longed for the days when his duties as Chief of Security provided a convenient excuse for not participating in the more social side of life on the Station. 

"Odo," she said, reading his look. She took him gently by the arm and steered him towards the door. "Vivian Landis has proven to be invaluable to me since she arrived on the Station. She's taken over all of the social functions I no longer have time to deal with. She has even organized the Gratitude Festival for the last two years. I do not know what I would do without her." 

"I'm really not comfortable with this." There was note of pleading in his voice. 

"I know," she assured him. "You don't have to join anything if you don't want to. But the Auxiliary has done a wonderful job of organizing events for charity. They've raised quite a lot of money, they could use someone with your experience to help keep an eye on things, make sure the funds are being distributed properly." 

"But I'm not Starfleet," he protested. And hardly a spouse, he thought, unable to resist stirring the pot of his own misery. 

"Just hear her out, that's all I ask." 

With little more than a nod, he reluctantly acquiesced.

* * *

"Oh, the Gratitude Festival practically runs itself," remarked Vivian Landis, as her husband busied himself with pouring the after dinner wine. "I do apologize Odo, Ripley usually treats guests as through they're going to steal the spoons. I've never seen him take to someone like this before."

"Ripley recognizes a fellow security officer when he sees one," replied Bryan, handing Kira a glass and giving the small black and white cat a playful tug on the ears. 

Kira accepted her glass grateful the evening had progressed beyond her expectation. Odo actually seemed to be enjoying himself, despite the fact the Landis family cat spent the entire evening sitting at his feet and staring at him as though it expected him to suddenly grow a second head. 

Quite frankly, she had not known what to expect when Starfleet had announced they were sending a married man with children to be her First Officer, thinking the job would be best filled by someone younger and more likely to take risks. Her doubts only grew when she first met the short, plump Bryan Landis (who had a tendency while on the job to look as though his shoes fit too tightly). 

Little did she expect that underneath the unassuming exterior lurked a master at effortlessly getting people to do the most difficult of tasks. When, after she began to know him better, did she confess her earlier doubts, Bryan had merely laughed and explained that the only way he learned to manage a household made up of one spirited wife and twelve boisterous children while keeping his sanity was to quickly learn the fine art of negotiation. 

She sat back and watched as Bryan perched on the arm of his wife's chair. Vivian Landis was as short and stout as her husband, at which Kira marveled once more that the Landis children, all now adults and living their own lives off the Station, managed to grow to be exceedingly tall and thin. Whereas Bryan was not what many would consider a handsome man, Vivian was still striking with her coal black eyes and shock of white hair. And while Kira had had her reservations about Bryan, she had taken to Vivian immediately. 

"So," she asked. "How are the arrangements for Lieutenant Li's wedding going?" 

"I had no idea how elaborate Bajoran weddings could be," remarked Vivian. "I don't know where they are going to find so many attendants… 

"That's one thing I miss about not having the kids here," agreed her husband. "When they were little, there were always a dozen or two kids about we could coerce into doing just about anything." 

"I thought you only had twelve children," remarked Odo, speaking for almost the first time that evening. 

"That we did," replied Bryan. "At times." 

"But our children," explained Vivian. "All of our children had a habit of attracting other children like some people attract stray animals. You would think they would have had enough company as it was." 

"There were so many kids hanging around when we were on Starbase 57 that we practically had our own floor in the habitat section." 

"My brothers were like that," said Kira. "We could barely feed ourselves and yet they were always dragging some other kid along for dinner." 

"Where are they now?" asked Vivian. 

"They didn't survive the Occupation." Kira said it as a statement of fact, she was long past crying for them, and yet she was aware of Odo moving a bit closer to her, as if to protect her from an emotional injury. 

"I'm sorry to hear that," remarked Vivian. "Seeing Bajor as it is now, it's hard to remember the Occupation ended only a few years ago. No wonder there are so many young Bajorans getting married these days." 

"But not all of them are going for the more formal weddings," said Kira. "So you won't have to worry about having a lot of children handy. Most weddings are quite small affairs." 

"And what about you Odo?" asked Vivian. "Will you want a formal wedding?" 

Odo stiffened in place, suddenly panicked. He truly could not remember if he and Kira had ever discussed a wedding. He couldn't even remember if either of them had proposed. Sensing his predicament, Kira calmly took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. "What with one thing or another we haven't exactly given it any thought," she said. Odo's relief was palpable. 

"Okay Viv," remarked Bryan, sensing they had crossed into territory where he and his wife had no business. "Leave the poor fellow alone. Why don't you tell them the real reason you asked them to dinner." 

She gave him a playful elbow to the ribs. "As you know," she said, leaning a bit forward in her chair. "The Intergalactic Red Cross in this Sector has had its hands full with continuing the War Relief effort as has Starfleet. A few weeks ago, an inquiry came in to the Red Cross office to see if anyone could be spared to run a little exploratory mission for them. It seems that First Contact was made with a small planet just outside Cardassian Space just before the War." 

"KuruTame," said Kira. "I remember you mentioning this before." 

"Exactly," continued Vivian. "Before any of the official steps could be taken, the War broke out and no one's heard from them since. We don't know if they were occupied by the Dominion or if they were integrated into the Empire or what. Being the closest outpost to them, we were asked if we'd go and see how they were doing and if they could use any assistance." 

"But, I thought you had a team ready to go," replied Kira. "Dr. Bashir has been making arrangements…" 

"Yes, but due to the Economic Development shindig coming up, Flato Rey has had to back out at the last minute and we're one short. So you see my problem. Li was our backup, but…" 

"Li has her wedding in two weeks. I do see." 

The room fell silent as Kira gave thought to whom among her staff could be spared to leave the Station. She could think of no one. Then a thought struck her. She purposefully kept her eyes locked on her wineglass. He wasn't going to be happy about this, she thought, but it just may be the answer she had been praying for. "I can only think of one person," she said. "Someone who has the experience you are looking for and who is not going to be tied up with other duties." 

She glanced at Vivian, who smiled and trained her gaze on Odo. Kira turned to look at Odo, who at first looked at her with a puzzled expression on his face. Suspicion slowly dawning on him, his gaze slid from her to the Landis'. Bryan and his wife gazed upon him, expectant smiles on their faces. 

He quickly glanced at the cat, which merely returned his gaze and purred.

* * *

"I honestly did not know that was what she was going to ask," said Kira.

They were back in their quarters. She had known he would not be happy, and he was clearly not. 

"Look, it's only for a short while, hopefully by the time you get back, the Militia will have reinstated your commission and you will be back on the job. Think of it as a vacation." 

My commission, he thought. She would have to bring that up now. All of the troubles of the last few weeks suddenly came crashing down around him. He uttered a short and bitter laugh and turned away from her to stare unseeing out of the view port. 

"Odo," she pleaded. "Come on, it's not this trip that's bothering you is it? You can tell me." 

"The Militia will not reinstate my commission," he said, flatly. "Why would they?" 

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course they will. Everyone knows…" 

"Do they?" he asked, his anger showing despite his efforts to keep it under control. "I know exactly what everyone thinks, I heard them loud and clear. I know they think I'm not really me. I know they suspect I just might be an operative. I know they think the Founders…" He choked on the word. 

"And those people are stupid," said Kira, turning him to face her, "I know. And I know that Bajor owes you for all you've done for her. As a matter of fact I intend to speak to Shakaar about it when he comes to the Station tomorrow to go over the arrangements for the Conference." 

Shakaar, he thought, of course. He felt his anger and frustration boil to the surface and before he could stop himself, he gave into an unworthy impulse. 

"I don't' suppose," he said. "That you would like to tell me the real reason you want me off the Station?" 

His words stung, he could see that. 

"What?" 

"That perhaps the real reason is that you don't want me underfoot while the Conference is in session? That perhaps you don't' want me around while you and…" He couldn't bring himself to say it. 

"While I what?" she snapped back. "Judging by your recent behavior, can you blame me? How many fights do you think you can get into with all those Cardassians on the Station?" She caught herself before she could say more. Taking a deep breath, she placed her hands on his chest. "Look," she said more calmly. "I just got you back, believe me, the last thing I want to do is send you away." 

He tried to pull away from her, but she would not allow him to. 

"Odo," she said, lifting his chin. "Look at me. There's no place in all the Universe I would rather you be than right here. But maybe, just maybe, it would be best if you were somewhere else for a little while. You're miserable here, and you know it. You don't have to go to KuruTame if you don't want to, but yes, maybe it's for the best that you aren't here during the Conference. Anti Dominion feelings are going to be running a bit high. Fights in Quarks are one thing but this will be different and I would feel better knowing you were somewhere safe and not having to worry that some nut with a grudge may try to kill you. If you stayed, I'd have to assign you bodyguards and you'd hate that even more." 

He did not hear her - all he heard was that, for whatever reason, she wanted him gone. 

"You want me to leave," he said, as though he did not believe it. 

"Odo. Did you hear what I said?" 

"Fine," he replied, surprised how calm he felt. It was the calm of a man who had nothing left to lose. "You want me to go? Fine. I'll leave. I… I just don't know if I'll be coming back." 

His words fell between them with an unimagined weight. 

"What do you mean?" she asked, suddenly afraid. 

"I mean that there's nothing for me to do here. All I have here anymore is you." He cupped her face with his hands and rested his forehead against hers. "All I have left in the Universe is you." Fear seized him for a moment and he fought a growing sense of panic. "And…what good am I to you? How can I be what you need me to be when I don't even know who I am anymore? You're right, it would be best for me to leave." 

He smothered her protests with a kiss that, to Kira, was both wonderful and terrifying in its intensity. And before she could stop him, he was out the door.

* * *

Odo waited outside the shuttle bay doors.

He had spent the night in the shuttle. By morning, he realized how foolishly he had behaved and had gone back to their quarters to try and explain everything. Upon arriving, he had found her gone the computer confirming she was in her office. Not wishing to disturb her while she was on duty, he had returned to the shuttle. 

"So," said an all too familiar voice behind him. "Want to place a bet to see how many fights you can pick on KuruTame?" 

"Quark," growled Odo. "What are you doing here? Hoping to find an entire world to exploit?" 

"If I'm lucky." Quark looked around. "Where's the Colonel?" he asked. "I thought she would have been here." 

"She's meeting the First Minister's transport," said Vivian Landis, stepping out of the shuttle bay doors. "Odo, she said to tell you she's sorry to have missed you and to wish you good luck." 

"So," said Quark. "First Minister Shakaar, now there's a coincidence." He was about to needle Odo a bit more, but reading the look on Odo's face, thought better of it. 

"Can't say I would mind a visit from Shakaar myself," said Vivian. "Quite a good looking young fellow if you ask me." 

Standing slightly behind and to the left of Odo, Quark attempted to get Vivian's attention. He passed his finger in front of this throat several times in a gesture he hoped would caution her to stop talking. She was blissfully unaware of his efforts. 

"He and Kira were quite an item at one time," said Julian Bashir, stepping through the shuttle bay doors. "Everyone was certain they would mar…. oh, hello Odo," he added lamely as he caught sight of the Changeling. "I didn't know you were joining us." He had to good grace to blush. 

"Yes, well," said Quark quickly. "Let's go shall we? No point wasting all that….ah…starlight." 

"Almost," replied Julian. "But you might as well get settled in." 

Following behind the group, Odo heard voices approaching and turned to see the security detail leading the First Minister's party. Walking next to Shakaar, laughing and talking animatedly, was Kira.

* * *

Kira waited outside the airlock.

She had spent the night trying vainly to get some sleep. By morning, she was hoping he would have returned to their quarters with some sort of explanation. She had waited for as long as she could before finally deciding to go to the shuttle bay in hopes of finding him before he left. He was not there and she could wait no longer. 

The air lock doors rolled open and she stepped forward to meet the First Minister. After the formalities were over, she fell into place beside Shakaar as the group followed the security detachment out of the docking ring. 

"Edon," she said, giving him a smile. "It's good to see you again." 

"It's good to be seen," he replied. "You're looking good, Nerys. I don't suppose it has anything to do with a certain person recently returning to the Station?" 

She gave him a nod. 

"But," he continued. "There's something that's bothering you isn't there?" 

"How can you tell?" 

"I think I've known you long enough to know." 

She laughed. "When you have a moment, I'd like to talk to you about Odo getting his commission back. Now, I know he's only officially on administrative leave, but the Militia has been dragging their heels about putting him back on active status." She grew more animated as she spoke, hardly noticing Shakaar's silence. 

The detail turned onto the crosswalk that would lead them to the Promenade and she caught sight of a lone figure standing outside a shuttle bay door. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized it was Odo. She quickly excused herself and turned to go talk to him. 

But when she reached the spot, he was gone.


	3. Chapter 2

**The Last Temptation of Odo **

By 

Creek Johnson and Nance Hurt

* * *

Disclaimer: We are but fleas on the elephants' posterior that is Paramount.

No infringement on their rights is intended. We hope none is taken.

* * *

"Perhaps," said Julian Bashir, squinting his eyes. "It's his hair. I don't think that is quite the right shade."

The object of discussion merely snorted in reply. 

"I'm beginning to believe," said Vivian Landis from her place at the helm. "That the two of you are making this up." 

"No," replied Quark, with conviction. "There's something missing I tell you." 

They had been at it for a long time. The mother of six boys, Vivian Landis recognized brotherly bullying when she saw it, much to her relief; Odo appeared to recognize the behavior as well. 

The trip had been a long one and she was at first worried that the morose Changeling would prove to be what she, out of maternal habit, had thought would be the troubled child of the group. It was days into their journey before he had spoken a word, seemingly content to either sit in the corner and observe the others, or retire to his bunk for hours at a time. With time, he appeared to come out of his shell a bit, a fact that Quark in particular seemed ready to take advantage of. For the last hour, Dr. Bashir and Quark had been playing a rough version of what's wrong with this picture? 

"Shoes?" ventured Julian. 

"You all ready guessed that," replied Quark. "Guess again." 

"I hate to interrupt," said Vivian. "But I just picked up something on sensors." 

"A ship?" asked Julian. 

"No. It appears to be some type of orbital platform." 

Julian moved to the seat next to her. 

"There's no report of them having that type of technology. Are you sure it's the right planet?" 

"I don't see another one in the vicinity do you?" 

"Maybe," ventured Quark. "Someone got here before us." 

"That would be just your luck wouldn't it," replied Odo, mockingly. "A day late and a slip of latinum short." 

"It's an orbital platform all right," said Julian. "Do you suppose it's operational?" 

"Operational," confirmed Vivian. "And hailing us." 

"Put it on screen." 

Vivian punched in the order and the view screen resolved itself from the star field to the face of a Jem'Hadar.

* * *

"And," continued Ezri Dax, "as no one gets famous by being a Counselor, unless of course you manage to crash land your ship, the other Daxes and I have come to an arrangement. They pretty much leave me alone and I leave them alone. Well, that's the way it's supposed to work in principle..."

She looked at her companion. Kira wore the glassy eyed expression of someone who was mentally light years away. 

"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?" asked Ezri. 

"Nothing," replied Kira, glancing around at the other dinners in the Replimat. "It's nothing." 

"Kira, I know better. You've been in a foul mood ever since Shakaar left. No, I take that back, you've been in a foul mood since shortly after he arrived. It's a week later, the Economic Conference has just gotten under way, and it's as though you are avoiding him. And now, you sit here glaring at the other tables as though you were waiting for an excuse to chew somebody out." 

"Am I?" 

"You know you are. Now, what's the matter?" 

"Are you asking as my Counselor?" asked Kira. 

"No. As your friend." 

Ezri watched, as Kira seemed to conduct an internal argument before leaning forward and speaking in an angry tone. 

"Last week, when the First Minister came to approve the arrangements for the Conference, I asked him about the Militia restoring Odo's commission." She stopped, clearly trying to keep her anger under control. 

"And," prompted Ezri mentally noting Kira's use of title to describe her former Resistance leader. 

"He told me," continued Kira, speaking through clenched teeth. "That when Odo returns to the Station, the Militia will be granting him a promotion and decorating him with the Freedom medal." 

"Freedom medal?" Ezri was impressed. "I thought only people who fought in the Resistance were awarded that?" 

"Even then," agreed Kira. "It was mostly awarded posthumously." 

"That's quite a honor. And you see this as a problem?" 

"No. The problem lies in the fact that all this comes just the day before Odo's retirement." 

"Odo's retiring?" Ezri was genuinely surprised. "When did he make that decision?" 

"He didn't," said Kira, flatly. "He's being retired." 

"I see," replied Ezri. "And he doesn't know does he?" 

"No. Although he suspected he wouldn't be getting his job back, I don't think he expected this." 

"Did Shakaar say why?" 

Kira thought back to the argument that followed Shakaar's announcement. He has said that risk was the basis for the decision. How they could no longer risk Odo's exposure to sensitive information in the event he should return to the Link. She argued, without giving details, that the likelihood of Odo returning to the Link was quite impossible. Shakaar was unconvinced. She then demanded to know what the Militia expected next. Would they next expect him to be tossed off the Station? And if not, would they then demand that he be excluded from her life as well? 

Shakaar gave her no answer. 

She then remembered standing in the corridor outside his quarters. How in the quiet of the habitat ring she had heard the voice quite clearly. A single word that rang in her head. "Choose." 

"Officially?" said Kira, in answer to Ezri's question. "Officially, Odo is being retired because, in their opinion, his position is being filled quite ably by Lt. Commander Marshall and that there are no comparable positions on Bajor. Unofficially, it is the opinion of the Militia that Odo can no longer be trusted with sensitive information." 

"They think he's a spy?" 

"Among other things. Word has gotten out about Odo's mental state and I have a sneaking suspicion they think he's unbalanced. Which is nothing new, half the Security Division is certifiable, but it doesn't stop them from doing their jobs." 

"Poor Odo," said Ezri. "It's not exactly been a happy homecoming has it?" 

"You have no idea." 

Sensing that she would, most likely, never know the true story of how Odo returned to the Station, Ezri let the matter drop. "Are you going to tell him?" she asked. 

"Am I going to contact the runabout via subspace and tell him? No. It can wait until he gets back from KuruTame. Speaking of which have you heard from Julian? They aren't officially expected to report in until they arrive." 

"No," replied Ezri. "But they should be arriving soon. I'll let you know when he calls in." 

Kira's comm. alerted her she was needed back in Ops. 

"One other thing," she said, as she rose to go. "If you even think of ever crash landing this Station, eight lifetimes or not, I will have your head."

* * *

"You have entered Dominion Space," announced the Jem'Hadar. "Transmit your authorization codes now."

"May we speak to the Vorta in charge?" replied Julian. 

"Why bother speaking to anyone," insisted Quark. "Just turn this runabout around and get us the hell out of here." 

"For once I agree with Quark," said Odo. Ever since the face of the Jem'Hadar appeared on the screen, he struggled with a whirlwind of emotion. Part of him was terrified at the thought of having to face the Dominion again, while part of him screamed for answers as to why he had been tossed aside, and part was furious that they were still a presence in, what he now considered to be, his part of the Universe. At the moment, fear, had the upper hand. "Doctor, we aren't exactly in a position …" 

"It must be a recording of some kind," said Vivian. "I'm not reading any life signs aboard the platform." 

"Or," replied Quark. "He's transmitting from somewhere on the planet. He and thousands of others just like him are down on that planet just waiting to blow us out of the sky." 

"Transmit your authorization codes now," said the Jem'Hadar. "Or you will be fired upon." 

"I really must insist on speaking to the Vorta in charge," insisted Julian. 

"Doctor," warned Odo. "He's not exactly paying any attention to what you are saying. If you don't transmit a code…" 

"And the right code," interrupted Quark. "Not just any code…" 

"…I seriously do not believe this runabout can withstand…" 

"…boom." 

"Will you two kindly shut up." demanded Julian. He sat back in his seat and rubbed his neck. True, the nature of their mission hardly included liberating the planet. On the other hand, if the Jem'Hadar had left a fully functional platform behind, then that could be the explanation for why no one had heard from KuruTame since the end of the war. If no one could land, it could well be that no one on the planet had the technology to leave either. 

"Can you scan for life signs on the planet?" he asked Vivian. 

"No," she replied. "The platform is sending out some type of low level interference. Most likely a way of masking troop numbers and armaments." 

"Your failure to transmit codes has been noted," said the Jem'Hadar. "You have one minute to leave Dominion Space or you will be fired upon." 

"Doctor," warned Odo. "Our time is running out." 

"Confirming they have locked weapons," announced Vivian. 

"Julian," said Quark. "What are you waiting for? This is no time to decide to be a hero." 

Julian glanced at Vivian. 

"It's your call, Doctor," she said, meeting his gaze. 

"Fine," replied Julian, with a determined nod. "Shields up. We are going in."

* * *

In the capitol city of KuRazu, high on a hill overlooking the buildings below, sat the old fortress of kings long since passed. It was here, in isolation, that the Founder chose to reside.

Through the lush corridors of the castle a lone figure ran as fast as his stubbly little legs could carry him. Skidding to a halt before the audience chamber of the Founder, he barely had time to nod in thanks to the honor guard, before skittering through the doorway. Nearly tripping over the carpet, he passed quickly through the chamber and disappeared through a small door in the far wall. 

In the corridor that ran behind the chamber he paused, waiting to catch his breath, before placing his eye in front of the ocular scanner. The first door slid open only to reveal a second. Giving his password when prompted by the computer, the second door opened to reveal a room beyond. 

"Founder," he said, nearly knocking the occupants of the room to the floor in his haste. "I knew this was going to happen, it was only a matter of time." 

"What?" asked the Jem'Hadar, putting down his cup of tea. "What's happened?" 

"A ship." declared the Vorta, wringing his stubbly hands. "A ship has breached the barrier. They refused to leave when warned and were shot down." 

"Nothing to worry about. The others who were so foolish were burned up on entering the atmosphere." 

"I…I don't think this one did. I…think it came down intact. We traced the trajectory to a location in the Yame District, in the South, Minami Prefecture. But it's sparsely populated and there are no troops in the area. What should we do?" he asked, pleadingly. "If we give up now, perhaps they will go easy on us. I mean no harm has been done…" 

"Don't be a fool," replied the Jem'Hadar. "No one ship would be able to survive an assault and if parts of the ship did manage not to burn on reentry, no species we know of would be able to survive the crash." 

"But…" 

"Silence!" demanded the Founder. "Is the Disbursement Field still operational?" 

"Yes, Founder," replied the Jem'Hadar. 

"Good. I want their exact co-ordinates and I want you to place the Disbursement Field around the wreckage." 

"But you can't mean to…" said the Vorta. 

"I can and I will," said the Founder. "If anyone from that ship survived, they shall be scattered to the winds."

* * *

"Is everyone all right?" asked Odo, as he extinguished the last of the flames from the fire that had started in the cabin. Having no bones to break or lungs to be filled by the smoke that surrounded them, he had been the first to his feet after their abrupt landing.

"I'm fine," called out Julian before lapsing into a fit of coughing. 

"Same here," said Vivian. "Odo, see if you can get the hatch open, let some of this smoke out." 

"I'll tell you one thing," replied Quark. "I'm flying us home. You, Doctor, are a menace." 

"Much better," said Vivian, as fresh air flooded the cabin. "What say, we figure out if we can fly again before we figure out who's going to be doing the flying?" 

"Most of the systems seem to be down," remarked Julian. "Shields, communications, scanners, all off-line." 

"Looks as though the ODN relays have blown," agreed Vivian. "Not too difficult to repair, if, we have enough parts in the repair box. If not, we might be able to scavenge what we need. What?" she asked, meeting their stares. "I'm not only a wife and mother, you know, I was chief engineer on the Lexington when I first met Bryan." 

"Well," replied Julian, a little abashed. "Perhaps we should take a look around, see if we are near a city or village?" 

"See if we're missing any parts of the ship." said Quark. "I doubt if we need a nacelle we'll be able to find one in the spare parts box." 

The outside of the ship was surprisingly in good shape, except for a few phaser burns across the hull. The ship lay on the banks of a wide river. Pastureland gently rolled in all directions. 

"Not a sign of humanoid life," remarked Julian, consulting his tricorder. 

"Great," complained Quark. "So, what do we do, wait here to someone to find us?" 

"Or," remarked Vivian, tossing him a survival pack. "We can walk." 

"Walk?" 

"Sure, the tricorder has a limited range. In all likelihood there's a village or a city just out of range." 

"No." said Odo, with an unreadable expression on his face. "I'll go, the three of you stay here." 

"That's the best idea I've heard today," said Quark. 

"Don't be ridiculous," remarked Julian. 

"He's not being ridiculous," ventured Vivian. "I believe he's being cautious. But Odo, if the Dominion were still here, there would have been troops on the ground before we landed. You have to take into consideration that all we are dealing with is abandoned technology the natives have no idea how to use." 

"She's right," agreed Julian. "And we'll cover ground faster if we each travel in a different direction. First person to make contact will signal the others. We will be fine, I assure you." He tossed a comm. badge to Odo. "That's what you were missing, by the way." 

"I beg your pardon?" 

"On board ship. The one thing you were missing?" 

Odo nodded in reply. "Thank you, Doctor." 

"Right then. Odo according to the tricorder you are standing North of me, so, you go North. I'm South. Vivian is East of me, Quark that makes you West. Plan on meeting back here in 48 hours." 

"Wait a minute," said Quark. "That's it? Here's your survival rations and see you in two days?" 

"You can always stay here, Quark," replied Odo, as Vivian and Julian disappeared back into the runabout. "But the Jem'Hadar are most likely going to come straight here. So, unless you plan on being the welcoming committee, I would suggest you…take a hike." 

"Odo," warned Quark, not liking the expression he found on his companions face. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to go off on your own. Not that it's any of my business, but all things considered…" 

"It's not any of your business," said Odo, sharply. He turned and stalked off. 

"But…Wait!" Quark started to follow the Changeling when the air around them suddenly grew heavy. To Quark, Odo seemed to freeze in mid stride and then disappeared. 

"But…" Quark backed away from the spot where Odo vanished. He tried to call out for help, but his voice would not work. Without thinking, he continued to back away, when the air around him suddenly grew heavy. 

"Right then," said Julian, exiting the shuttle. He looked around and was surprised to find Odo and Quark had departed. He circled the runabout but saw no sign of his companions. That's odd, he thought, pulling out his tricorder and reading no life signs. "Hang on a minute," he called to Vivian. "There's some sort of interference very close to our location." He took a few steps away from the runabout, when he noticed the air around him grow heavy. 

"What?" said Vivian Landis, as she stepped out into the fresh air. "I couldn't hear you." She looked around and found herself alone. "Julian?" 

Receiving no reply, she called out to the others. Her cries were met with silence. 

She stepped away from the runabout to see if she could see any of her companions on the horizon. There was no one. She took a step further when she noticed the air around her grow heavy. 

She quickly took a step back. The air felt normal again. Okay, she thought, attention, attention all hands, weirdness alert. She scanned the area with her tricorder and found nothing registered but a certain amount of static interference. 

"Okay," she said to herself. "So much for science." She held one arm extended before her and walked slowly forward. 

Two steps forward and she felt the air thicken. One more step and she felt the air grow greasy with static electricity. She quickly stepped back. 

She looked at the runabout and realized there was no solution to be had there. And, she thought, no point in staying here like a damsel waiting to be rescued. She sighed and turned back to whatever sort of field was before her. 

"In for a penny," she said to herself, "in for a pound." 

Holding her breath, she took a step forward, the air crackling around her, as she stepped through the barrier.


	4. Chapter 3

**The Last Temptation of Odo ? Chapter 3 **

By 

Creek Johnson and Nance Hurt

* * *

Disclaimer: We are but fleas on the elephants? posterior that is Paramount.

No infringement on their rights is intended. We hope none is taken.

* * *

The Founder strode out of a small side door to the castle and made his way quickly to the private courtyards in the back, his robes flapping around him. Reaching a side door in the wall, he punched in an access code and paused in the doorway, his heart skipping a beat.

Before him, nearly filling the courtyard to capacity, sat the Outsiders ship. ?Beautiful, beautiful,? he whispered to himself, his fingers twitched in anticipation. The hatch had been open when they found the ship, which was a small disappointment; he had been looking forward to cracking the ship open like a nut. 

He circled the ship a few times, whispering words of approval, before he stepped through the hatch. He paused on the threshold his eyes alight in anticipation. Nodding his head, he moved to each station surveying the damage. There was more damage than he had anticipated, but that only made the puzzle more interesting. He sat at the pilots console and smiled at the still glowing controls. 

?Lovely,? he said softly to himself, his hands stroked the smooth control panel ?Just lovely.? So engrossed was he that he never noticed the short figure slipping out the back of the ship. 

The Vorta paused at the hatchway and listened for any signs of pursuit before slipping through and hurrying away from the ship as quickly as possible. Once out of the courtyard, he paused to catch is breath, his sweaty hands clutching the data he had downloaded. Thankfully, it had not taken him long to find what he had been looking for. The one called Julian had been meticulous in keeping what he referred to as a ?personal log?. 

Hearing a sound, he froze in place. Footsteps. Quickly hiding his prize within the sleeve of his coat, he walked as nonchalantly as he could toward the approaching figure. 

?Have you tired of the toy so quickly?? asked the Jem?Hadar, stopping to brush crumbs from the front of his tunic. 

?It?s?It?s not as?big?as I had expected.? 

?No. It?s some sort of mid-range transportation. Changes are it belongs to a much, much larger vessel.? 

?Do?do you think someone will come looking for them?? 

?Eventually,? agreed the Jem?Hadar. ?I am just going to speak to him about that. You know how he likes his toys.? 

?Only too well,? admitted the Vorta. The Founders fascination with technology was the bane of their existence. 

?You know,? said the Jem?Hadar, confidentially. ?I?m beginning to think that perhaps we should not have disbursed the occupants of this ship.? 

?You are?? The Vorta was genuinely surprised. Perhaps he had not acted rashly after all. 

?Yes,? said the Jem?Hadar, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. ?When their shipmates come looking for them and we have to give them the bad news, it would be so much more convincing if we could provide a corpse or two as proof.? 

Be careful what you wish for, thought the Vorta, as he scurried on his way.

* * *

Gasping for air, Vivian Landis struggled to her feet. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she managed to stagger a few feet before her knees gave way and she found herself abruptly sitting on the ground. Reaching for her pack, she found a canister of water and rinsed her mouth. Damn, she thought, this was worse than the first time she experienced a transporter beam.

Transporter beam, she thought, of course. She reached for the tricorder. Activating the device, she found no readings for the runabout, nor did she find any sign of the others. She activated her comm. 

?Landis to Bashir.? No response. 

?Landis to Odo.? Silence. 

?Landis to Quark.? Nothing. 

?Landis to Runabout.? There was a faint crackle of static. Well, she thought, wherever the runabout was, it was still operational, but the comm. system was still down. 

?Okay,? she said to herself. ?Look for the big red x on the map that says ?You Are Here?. She looked around her and found she was in the middle of a plowed field. Not far behind her, hanging limp, it?s clothes flapping in the breeze, was what she assumed was a scarecrow. A farm, she thought. If there?s a farm, then the farmer shouldn?t be too far away. 

A large black bird circled overhead and landed on the shoulder of the scarecrow. It eyed her carefully before flying away. She watched the bird as it wheeled upon the wind and flew to the far corner of the field. A slight movement caught her eye. A lone figure walked slowly along what she supposed was a road. 

Gathering up her belongings, she set out across the field in pursuit.

* * *

?Bashir to anybody.?

No response. 

Julian looked around him again. Where the runabout should have been there was nothing but rock. No river, no familiar landmarks at all. Nothing but rocks and more rocks. He was on the slope of a foothill. A ravine lay below him, mountainous terrain above. He considered himself to have been fortunate he had emerged from whatever that field was that surrounded the runabout onto the only footpath in the area. Two feet more to the right and he would have been on the gravel slope leading to a precipitous drop into the ravine. Two feet more to the left and he would have landed among a collection of small round boulders on the slope up to the mountains. 

He turned away from the boulders and scanned the area below. So sign of any life forms. Perhaps, he thought, the tricorder had been damaged as well, or merely needed recalibrating. He carefully closed the tricorder, thinking he had heard a sound not unlike whispering. Standing still, he listened carefully. Again he heard a soft sound. 

Casually, he opened his tricorder again and turned towards the sound. The tricorder read nothing - nothing but rocks. 

Thinking his rather abrupt transport from wherever he had been to wherever he was now had caused some minor neurological problems; he turned the tricorder on himself. Again, registering nothing, he started to dig into his pack for the small toolkit. His eyes narrowed as he could have sworn he heard a faint laugh. 

Very well, he thought, someone is playing a game with me. Moving away from the rocks, he took a few determined steps before turning back as quickly as possible. 

He could have sworn the rocks moved. 

Slinging his pack across his shoulders, he set off up the track as fast as he could move. He only made it a few meters when an outcropping of boulders on his left suddenly stood up and blocked his path.

* * *

Quark stabbed a stick into the miserable little fire and cursed his luck. The wind and the rain kept the embers from giving off any heat, but he was profoundly grateful for what little light if offered up to dispel the darkness of the forest.

Stepping backwards through the force field that surrounded the runabout, he had found himself in the dark. Thinking momentarily, he had gone blind, he was startled when he inadvertently backed into something solid. It was a tree, he knew that now, but in the panic of the moment, he ran. He had run headfirst into several trees before realizing it was night and he was in a forest. He touched his forehead and found it still tender. 

After the panic had worn off he had been grateful that no one was around to see him in his battered condition. Now, he would give anything for a little company. He snapped the stick in two and tossed it on the fire, reminding himself he was alive and if he were alive then he was sure the rest of his party were alive as well. It was just a matter of finding them. He activated his comm. again. 

?Quark to Runabout.? Static. 

He glanced up as the wind set the branches high above him in groaning movement. Perhaps in the morning things would be looking up. Fresh rain drove twigs and leaves down upon his upturned face. It certainly couldn?t get any worse, he thought. 

Hearing an unfamiliar noise, he glanced nervously around. Not far from his makeshift camp, he could see several pairs of eyes glowing in the dark.

* * *

Odo was in torment.

He closed his eyes, ignoring the small garden, the tiny stone temple, the lush bamboo at his back, and the peaceful little stream that flowed happily through the garden, gurgling past him in its journey to join the river below. 

His passage through the force field had left him weak, unable to hold his shape. How long he had remained in his natural state, he had no idea. Eventually, his senses returned, and he had found himself in a narrow valley, on the banks of a river. All attempts to hail the runabout had met with failure. All attempts to hail his companions had been as fruitless. He had assumed the steep walls of the valley had prevented him from locating then with his tricorder. He was alone. 

Fighting back the fear that had gripped him since arriving on KuruTame, he reasoned that if this planet were like Bajor, then some sort of settlement must be found on the banks of the river. It would just be a matter of walking until he found a village or city of some sort. Scanning the water and finding no flotsam to indicate the presence of humanoids upstream of his location, he decided going downstream was as good a choice as any. 

He had walked for what seemed to be hours before coming across the small garden on the banks of the river. As he walked his fear lessened only to be replaced by a growing depression. By the time he had reached the garden, Odo found himself nearly writhing in self-torment. 

He upbraided himself for being foolish enough to have come on this fools errand in the first place. He railed at himself for thinking that once they had known the planet had been in the hands of the Dominion, even if Dominion troops were long gone, that his presence would do anything put place his companions in danger, for no friend of a Founder could ever be safe in a former Dominion colony. 

He laughed bitterly at the thought of his desire to go off on his own. He had volunteered to be the one to seek help because he had reasoned that if it were discovered he was a Changeling and subsequently captured or killed he would be able to disassociate himself from the rest, buying them time to escape. Well, he thought, he was on his own and as far as he knew, the rest of his companions were lost, captured, or?worse. 

He stared at the tiny stone temple before him. Sitting perched atop a short carved stone pillar; it resembled nothing more than a small house. He had to be near a village, for at the front of the tiny door, someone had placed offerings of flower petals, grain, and small discs he took to be coins of some sort. 

Rather than finding comfort in the evidence of civilization, he felt his heart sink as he thought of Nerys. Useless, that was what he had been reduced to. What had Quark called him, an embarrassment? She deserved so much more than a failure and an embarrassment. The only thing he had been good at was now most likely to be denied him. 

A strong wind suddenly brushed the garden scattering the flower petals and rustling the bamboo behind him. He stiffened as he realized there were other noises in the bamboo as well. He rose and spun around to face the source of the noise. The curtain of bamboo parted to reveal the face of a Jem?Hadar. 

He braced himself for what was to come. But to his amazement, the Jem?Hadar merely giggled and disappeared back into the cover of the plants.

* * *

The Vorta slipped quietly out of the communications center and glanced around grateful the castle was quiet at this time of night.

It had taken him hours to patch together the message, using bits and pieces of the recordings left behind by the one called Julian. He had inserted bits of static to cover the places where the edits were more obvious, but with any luck, no one would look too closely. 

Getting the message transmitted to the orbital platform and then sent on its way via subspace was a little more risky. He had been forced to wait until late at night, when only a few of the guards were on duty. Not that they would have questioned him, they were his guards after all, and no one questioned the Vorta. However, he knew to be cautious, just in case. 

As he made his way back to his chambers, he wondered where this Deep Space Nine was located in the vastness of space and what the people who resided there were like. 

Locking the door behind him, he sat at the computer console. Activating a program, he looked at the crude planetary radar map that appeared on the screen. Four dots, miles apart from each other, blinked at him. He wondered which one was Julian.

* * *

Vivian Landis was tired and getting just a little angry. She had been walking for hours and there was still no sign of any one except the old man she was following and there was something odd about him.

Shortly after she started following him she began to suspect something wasn?t right. It had taken her some time to cross the field and she was surprised once she gained the road that he was less than half a kilometer away. Starting off at a trot in an effort to close the distance between them, she was surprised to find he remained a little less than half a kilometer away. 

Eventually, she did locate a small cottage she assumed belonged to the farmer and having turned off the road, only to find no one home, returned to the road, to find the old man was still a little less than half a kilometer away. Throughout the day, she had conducted little experiments to see if she could get around what she was beginning to think of as the half-kilo barrier. At times she would slow her pace to a stroll, at others she would break out into a run, sometimes she would just find a shady place along the road and sit for awhile. Once, she even reversed course, but it made no difference, when she turned around he was just a half-kilometer behind her. 

She looked around; the terrain had changed somewhat since she had found herself in the field earlier. Rather than the flat fields, the land began to gently roll. Still farmland, she noted the fields were now separated by low stone fences. As she watched, the shadows lengthened across the fields. It would be night soon and her thoughts turned to finding a place to camp for the night. Bryan would be sorry he missed all this, she thought. At least she would have a good story to tell the kids. 

She glanced for her guide only to find he had disappeared over a hill. She wondered for a moment what would happen if she were to suddenly leap over the nearest fence and run for all she was worth. Would the old man also leap the fence? Would he also run? The moment passed and with resignation, she walked up the incline. 

She had almost reached the top, when a large black bird landed on the stone fence nearest to her. The bird seemed to size her up for a moment before flapping its wings loudly and flying off. The sun was setting quickly, and she longed for a bed. Cresting the hill, she wondered if there was some sort of settlement nearby, a barn at least where she could settle down for the night. 

She heard a faint rustling sound like the sound a paper kite makes when caught on the breeze. Glancing up, she found herself face to face with a giant glowing head.

* * *

They had been walking for hours. Julian found the terrain hard enough to navigate with his hands free, the strong hands of his captors grasping his upper arms made the journey nearly impossible.

Hearing shouts from the men in the lead, he looked up to find a small camp on a clearing. Two of his captors were talking to a third. The third man was much like the others, short in stature, round headed, their skin the color of the rocks around them, their features, eyes, ears, nose and mouth little more than slits in the skin. With a curt nod, the third man approached him. 

?You are fortunate,? he said, looking closely at Julian. ?My men usually do not bother with those foolish enough to wander these mountains alone. Judging by your clothing, you are not from this area, so we suppose you are a traveler. Where is your jutuba?? 

Julian was slightly taken aback as he watched the man tilt his head to the side. The head moved at an alarming angle, almost entirely sideways. The man blinked, waiting for an answer. 

?I?? he began and stopped, conscious he was tilting his head in imitation. He straightened up mustering what dignity he could. ?I am a doctor. I have no jutuba that I know of.? 

?A doctor!? The man issued a series of orders and Julian found himself roughly released. ?We shall not allow you to die then. You shall tend to our wounds and be a Bandit like us.? 

?But?? Julian?s protestations were drowned in the general shout that erupted from the band of men. He looked at them more closely. There must have been thirty men in the camp, most of who were injured in some way. He sighed. This was not the trip he had envisioned.

* * *

?Nice doggy,? said Quark, waiving the blazing end of the log at the creature nearest to him. The beasts would back off a bit before another would make a lunge at him.

He had tried shouting, to no avail. He had tried bribery, but they only ate all his rations before clearly deciding he would be the main course. He sincerely wanted to run, but they were big creatures, with big teeth, and he had do doubt they could out run him. 

?Nice try,? he said, clipping one on the nose and was pleased to hear it yelp in pain. ?Anyone else want to try?? 

The beasts had backed off a bit, but had clearly not given up. Quark waited, he had no idea of the time, but the sun had to be coming up soon. With any luck the dawn would drive them away. 

Instead, it started to rain. The blaze died down to red-hot embers, which eventually flickered and sizzled as the rain poured down and Quark watched in horror as what little fire was left went out entirely. He waived the thin log at the beasts in defiance and screamed as one lunged forward catching the log and pulling it out of his hands. 

He backed away thinking that maybe running wasn?t such a bad idea after all. He was just about to turn and run when he felt a hot blast of air on his neck. 

He turned and found himself looking into the long face of the biggest animal he had ever seen.

* * *

The children ran happily before Odo, their Jem?Hadar masks pushed back on their heads. They had not given him their names, seemingly content to talk nonstop about the everyday workings of their village, as though he were not a stranger. From them he had been able to piece together, I knew they were brother and sister, that it was time for the Spring Festivals, and that there was some type of celebration currently underway in the village. They had assured him that merriment was to be had for one and all.

He had tried to convince them that not all strangers were welcome, that perhaps, he should wait here in the garden until invited. Apparently these were children who had never in their lives met a stranger and looking at the remote location of the village, he could believe it were true. 

Following behind them at a more leisurely pace, he reached a place where the path from the river turned into a much wider road. Taking the turn as he had seen the children do, he found himself at the edge of a square. At the far end stood a group of adults, gathered in a tight knot as though seeking protection. Near them a group of children stood, all wearing the straw Jem-Hadar masks. The children began to chant and waive their arms at him. 

Puzzled for a moment, he turned and glanced behind him, thinking he had inadvertently stumbled into the middle of some sort of village play or ceremony. Hearing a shout, he turned back to the assembled villagers. 

One man approached. He looked like an older version of the children, the same thin v shaped face that seemed to sweep dramatically upwards from the chin to end in a head of spiky black hair, the same features, eyes, ears, nose and mouth nothing more than slits in the skin. Before him, he held aloft some manner of long thick stick and Odo instantly recognized the deliberate and exaggerated steps of the publicly intoxicated. Odo settled his weight more solidly in his legs and crossed his arms across his chest. Anyone this drunk and armed, even if only with a stick, was a public menace. 

With a high pitched shout the man brought the stick up over his head in a sweeping motion that nearly caused him to loose his balance. Regaining his composure, but not his dignity, he stamped his feet and paused as though expecting Odo to reciprocate. Odo refused to budge. 

There was a murmur from the crowd. The man, somewhat at a loss, shouted again and brought the stick down and across his body in a dramatic gesture. Odo could see the pleading in the man?s eyes as though he were begging him to cooperate. The crowd waited in silence. Having no idea what was expected of him, Odo took a step forward and stomped his feet. 

A murmur of approval came from the villagers. He looked at the man with the stick and noted a fleeting look of relief cross his face. He shouted again and swept the stick in an arching motion before him three times before halting, the point of the stick pointed directly at Odo. Having no idea what was expected from him, Odo uncrossed his arms, clapped his hands and said quite loudly. ?Ha!? 

A gasp rose from the crowd and before Odo could apologize for his ignorance, the man raised the stick high above his head and, screaming at the top of his lungs, ran headlong towards him.


	5. Chapter 4

**The Last Temptation of Odo – Chapter 4 **

By 

Creek Johnson and Nance Hurt

* * *

Disclaimer: We are but fleas on the elephants' posterior that is Paramount.

No infringement on their rights is intended. We hope none is taken.

* * *

Kira Nerys had long ago tuned out the constant complaining of the Cardassian Envoy who insisted on continuing his diatribe outside of the wardroom. Knowing full well it would do no good, she gave the turbolift call button another jab. Damn Cardassians, she thought, some things never change, as arrogant as ever. She never thought she would live to see the day when she would long for the company of Garak. The Station's former tailor and sometime spy was a lot of things, but he was never dull.

After what seemed to her a lifetime, the doors to the lift opened to reveal a ride almost crowed to capacity. Quickly squeezing in, she gave the Envoy an apologetic shrug as the doors slid shut leaving him behind. Finally alone with her thoughts she allowed herself to give way to the disappointment she had felt welling up inside her all day. They had received a badly garbled message from Julian Bashir that morning. From what anyone could gather, the team had arrived on KuruTame in good time and would be sending further reports as things progressed. She had hoped for some word from Odo but no message had been forthcoming. 

She was pulled out of her thoughts as the lift slid to a stop and the majority of its passengers exited. Sighing, she took a step back, grateful for the extra room. Damn you, Odo, she thought and in the same breath whispered a brief reminder to the Prophets for his safekeeping. 

"Do not turn around," said a voice behind her. Kira froze, half expecting an assault of some kind to follow. 

"I have changed my appearance since we last met," continued the voice. "And I do not wish to be recognized in this form." 

She recognized the voice. It was Pilgrim. 

"What the hell are you doing here?" demanded Kira. In all the time Odo had been back on the Station, neither of them had heard a word from his Alpha Quadrant relations. It was their silence, in her opinion, that contributed a great deal to the depression Odo had suffered following his return to the Station. 

"I have business on the Station and I had hoped to make contact with Odo. You sent him away. Do you really think that was wise?" 

"I could ask you the same question," she replied shortly, her anger rising. "I…" 

"Events had over taken us." Pilgrim cut off her reply. "And there have been preparations to be made…" 

"Events," she demanded. "What events?" 

"We assumed you knew." He seemed genuinely surprised. 

"Do I look like I own a crystal ball?" 

"I see. I assume you have access to Odo's messages." 

"What if I do?" Kira was growing tired of this game. 

"Then I suggest you read them," he replied. "The walls may have ears," he added reluctantly as though some sort of explanation was necessary. 

"Just what the hell is this all about?" 

"I believe this is your floor." The turbo lift slowed. "Read the messages, Colonel. We will be in contact." 

She stepped out of the lift and turned to face Pilgrim, to demand an explanation. 

The lift was empty.

* * *

The paper giant hung from its pole, the lanterns that illuminated it glowed softly in the dark, and the accordion pleated arms and legs swung softly in the breeze. Vivian Landis looked over the campfire to see the field around her dotted with similar fires by which she could make out figures moving to and from one camp to another. Quiet conversations and occasional bursts of laughter floated on the breeze.

"We understand your plight," said Asahi, the leader of this particular band of pilgrims. "However we can only counsel patience." 

Vivian nodded her head and looked at the group surrounding the campfire. They all had the same hunched shoulders, short necks and curiously V shaped heads topped by black hair that seemed to grow in spikes. She had learned since their first encounter that they were all Higoshi, the people of the Eastern Prefecture, on pilgrimage to the Capital City in honor of the Spring Festivals. The people that made up this particular group were all from the Southern tip of the Eastern Prefecture. Pilgrims from the other populated areas were supposedly days behind them. 

Vivian mindful of the Prime Directive, even though First Contact had been made, had been hesitant to divulge too much information about their mission. Thankfully travelers, even those clearly not from the area, were common among the Higoshi. Once she had explained that she had somehow been separated from her traveling companions, offers of assistance and aide had been forthcoming. 

"But surely," she said. "There must be some form of mass transportation…" 

"Of course," replied Asahi with a certain amount of pride in his voice. "We Higoshi are very modern. Our rivers team with all manner of passenger craft, we have trains, and even air transport." 

"But just not at this time of year." concluded Vivian. "As is your custom, I understand. But there must be some way I can try to locate my companions." 

"Perhaps," volunteered the owner of the campfire, a young woman named Jubei. "You would consider traveling with us. No matter where your friends are, they will most likely come across others like us and will arrive in the Capital in time for the Festival." 

Her suggestion was met with general approval of the small group around the campfire. 

"Jubei is correct," agreed Asahi. "It is the only sensible thing to do." 

Vivian was about to protest when in the distance she heard the chatter of a large bird. Well, she thought, I hope you are right.

* * *

Despite the difficulties he had encountered with the tricorder, Julian Bashir was thankful for a working dermal regenerator. Once he had realized that the, for lack of a better word, bandits were not wearing camouflage but in fact looked like the rocky region in which they dwelt, he was slightly more comfortable treating them. In fact, the more familiar he became with their physical presence, the more he came to believe they had much in common with other humanoid species.

"And how did you manage to do this?" he asked, eyeing the nasty scrape presented to him. "Bekko is it?" 

Bekko grinned. At least Julian assumed it was a grin, he was still having trouble interpreting the facial expressions of his…what were they…captors? 

"I fell down a slope while drilling," he replied. "It is my shoes. I am afraid they are not so good." 

Julian glanced briefly at the rather scuffed leather footwear and noted the soles looked almost new. "And do all, I'm sorry I do not know what to call you, do all of your people wear such shoes?" 

"We are Minami," replied Bekko with pride. "The bandits of Minami Prefecture." 

"I see. Well, that scrape looks painful. I would suggest you try not to fall down anymore." 

"My wife," said Bekko somewhat shamefaced as he watched Julian go to work with the regenerator. "My wife told me not to wear them, but I did not listen." 

"You're married?" Julian looked around the camp and so far had only seen what he assumed were men. 

"Oh, she's not here!" There was a note of laughter in Bekko's voice. "She says that in this day and age this is just foolishness. You should meet her, you have much in common, she too…." 

"Bekko!" said Houk as he approached. "Enough talking. Your wife is correct, the way you fight is foolishness." Julian had quickly learned Houk was the leader of this band and that the short Minamian had a tendency to speak in capital letters. 

"Doa," Bekko replied hanging his head. "I will endeavor to do better." 

"See that you do." 

As Bekko paused to bow to Julian before scurrying off the join the others, Houk remained behind. "Come, Doctor," he said. "It is almost time to depart." 

"Depart?" asked Julian. "Depart where?" 

"It is the Spring Festival!" said Houk as though the question was ridiculous. "The pilgrim caravans are on the move to the Capital! We have much business with the caravans!" 

What the hell have I gotten myself into, thought Julian as he packed up his instruments. And if I'm stuck with bandits, then what must the others be facing?

* * *

Quark was not sure what was worse, the wolf like creatures with their sharp teeth or the large animal before him with its gimlet eyes and flaring nostrils. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the worst.

"Do not move," commanded a voice and for a moment Quark thought the beast spoke. His ears heard a rustling sound just beyond the beasts' head followed by a loud twanging noise. Hearing a yelp from behind him, he spun just in time to see one of the creatures fall, some sort of projectile piercing its side. The remaining members of the pack scattered. 

Quark screamed. 

"You should have done that sooner," said the voice jovially. "A voice like yours would scare away all the creatures of the forest." 

Quark spun around to face the speaker. The large beast had turned slightly and he could see a person sitting astride it. The man leapt off the beast and faced Quark. The man did not stand up as much as he seemed to unfold. To Quark's eyes the stranger was huge, almost naked, and made entirely of bulges. His legs bulged, his arms, his neck, his chest, even his head was just a series of bulges. 

Quark blinked, swallowed hard, and looked again. 

Bulges everywhere except for one notable exception… Quark, realizing where he was staring, shook his head and concentrated on looking the man in the eye. 

"What have you to say for yourself?" demanded the man. 

"Thank you?" Quark squeaked. 

"Not at all. You must be brave to travel the forest at night." 

"No. Just lost." 

"Ah." He turned and removed some of his belongings from the back of the beast. "You managed to find a good place to camp. I will camp here with you." He dumped his belongings on the ground. "And who are you?" 

"Quark. And you are?" 

"I am the poDosai," he replied grandly. "But you may call me Ty-ni." 

Quark covered him mouth trying hard not to laugh. He looked at the still quivering body of the wolf, then back to his rescuer. It was no use. He laughed hysterically.

* * *

Odo laughed bitterly as he looked at his cell. Iron bars dusted with rust, a lock even the most inept of criminals could pick. It looked no more secure than the small tool shed located in the garden of the Institute on Bajor where he had spent his early years. Giving the bars a tentative shake, he noted the entire structure shook in sympathy.

He turned to his companion. She sat quietly on one of the makeshift bunks, her eyes closed in meditation. He noted she looked like the rest of the villagers, square shouldered, long impossibly thin neck, curiously V shaped head topped with black hair that seemed to grow in spikes. Only her costume marked her as different. Since his incarceration, she had not uttered a word, seemingly content with her fate. Uttering an impatient snort, he resumed his pacing. 

"Take one step or a thousand," she said eventually. "Your journey will only take you back unto yourself." 

"I beg your pardon?" 

She merely smiled and glanced at his feet. 

"I pace," he said slowly. "Because I have no idea why I am being incarcerated." 

"You are being incarcerated because they have no idea what to do with you. They have no idea who you are, or who you represent, and you defeated their champion." 

"The man was drunk and armed, even if it was with just a piece of wood, he was certainly going to hurt himself much less any innocent bystander." 

She covered her mouth to hide a slight giggle. 

"I had no idea he was their champion," continued Odo. "What does it matter anyway? All I wish to do is leave." 

"It matters," she replied. "As the entire economic livelihood of the local industry depends on who defeats the champion." 

"What?" 

"You have no idea what is transpiring here do you?" 

"None what so ever." 

She looked at him with interest. "A stranger in a strange land." 

"Yes?" 

"Very well," she replied as though dealing with a particularly ignorant child. "This is the village of Sanshoka in the Hoka Prefecture. The people of this village are toy makers." 

"Toy makers?" 

"Yes. Woodwork is the traditional industry of the Northern Prefectures. This village makes toys." 

"And?" 

"You defeated their champion." 

"This makes no sense," cried Odo. "What have toys got to do with some inebriated toy maker…?" 

"You defeated…." 

"I defeated their champion, yes I know…" 

"You must now represent the village in ritual battle in the Capitol City." 

"What?" He nearly sputtered in frustration. "I will do nothing of the sort." 

"If you do not," she replied evenly. "The village will forfeit all rights to distribute their toys and will fall prey to the thievery of the secondary markets. It will mean financial ruin." 

"You don't understand," he pleaded. "I can not do this. In the first place I have never used a weapon in my life and I am not about to start now. Secondly, I…I have urgent business of my own to attend to." 

"I am sure the villagers will understand." 

"Why can't you do it?" he asked, a note of desperation in his voice. "You are one of their own." 

"I am not from this village," she replied. "I am as foreign to them as you." 

"That's not stopping them from considering me their new champion." 

"I am also a master of jutuBa. I pledge my sword to no one." 

He was about to ask her exactly what a jutuBa was and why that prevented her from doing anything, when the door to the outer area opened and three men entered. Odo recognized the leader of the group as a man called Rufuki. 

"We have discussed the situation thoroughly," he said approaching the cell. "And we have no choice but to present you with our jutuBa and entreat you to represent us well." 

Odo felt the walls close in on him. "Look," he said. "I know what this means to you, but I can not do this. I don't know how to do this. You would all be much better off finding someone else…" 

The group looked crestfallen. "We expected as much," said Rufuki. He turned to the others. "We can only pray that the Founder will have mercy on us." 

"Founder?" The words were out of Odo's mouth before he could stop himself. 

"Yes. All villages not represented at the Festival gathering in the Capital are left to the mercy of the Founder. Someone from the village must be elected to plead our case to the Vorta. It will not be easy." 

"And your champion?" Odo asked. "Will your champion be allowed to see the Vorta as well?" 

"Oh, yes," replied Rufuki. "And if successful in defeating the Jem'Hadar in ritual combat the champion will meet the Founder." 

"I'll do it," said Odo. "But someone will have to teach me what to do and I will not use a weapon." 

The dawning of hope died on the faces of the villagers. "But no one has ever won without a sword," protested Rufuki. 

"Give him the sword," said Odo's cellmate. "I will teach him." 

"You?" asked Rufuki. "But you pledge your sword to no one but the poDosai…" 

"I will not be pledging my sword," she replied flatly. "But because you have remained true to the old ways, I will not stand by and allow this stranger to dishonor yours." 

Odo stood back as Rufuki opened the cell. His cellmate remained as passive as ever. 

"I suppose I should thank you," he said. 

"My name is iSamu," she said rising serenely from the bunk and floating past him. "And save your thanks for I am a hard master." 

Odo didn't care as long as it got him close enough to the Founder to make a difference and if possible he could find some way to get Quark and the others to safety.

* * *

Kira stood and started to walk away from the computer console but caught herself in mid stride and turned back. She had been doing this for some time, torn between a desire to know what Pilgrim had been referring to so cryptically and not wishing to violate Odos privacy.

On the other hand, she thought if it would in some way shed light on his recent behavior… 

With a sigh, she once again sat in front of the console and quickly entered his code before she changed her mind. 

There were hundreds of messages. She quickly scrolled through them. Aside from a dozen or so messages from people she knew, the rest seemed to be official requests of one sort or another. She bit back a bitter laugh; little did they know Odo's true status as far as the Dominion was concerned. 

Thinking this would get her nowhere; she ordered the computer to display the last message Odo had actually opened. 

With a bleep of confirmation, the computer complied. 

With Gevrik's clam voice sounding in her ears, she turned to stare sightless out the view port. 

"Damn you, Odo," she said, wiping away a tear. 


	6. Chapter 5

**The Last Temptation of Odo – Chapter 5 **

By 

Creek Johnson and Nance Hurt

* * *

Disclaimer: We are but fleas on the elephants' posterior that is Paramount.

No infringement on their rights is intended. We hope none is taken.

* * *

"Is something the matter?" asked Jubei.

Vivian smiled somewhat shamefaced. She had been surveying the group all morning and had not realized she had been that obvious. 

"No," she said. "It's just that yesterday, before I met up with your group, there was this old man on the road. You could say he lead me to you." 

"Enough of that," warned Jubei to a small group of children who had been following them and giggling. "You must excuse them. They believe you are Minami and they have never seen a Minami with pink skin and hair." 

"Minami?" asked Vivian. 

"Yes, the people of the South." 

"Ah." 

"So," continued Jubei turning her attention again to Vivian. "An old man? We met no one else on the road. Can you describe him?" 

Vivian thought hard. "Well," she said eventually. "I did not get a very good look at him, but he was short and he walked stooped over, but he could travel very fast for an old man." 

"Anything else? His face?" 

"He seemed to be, and I know this is going to sound strange, but he seemed to be nothing more than a mass of wrinkles." 

The children broke out into loud laughter. "Usa!" they cried. "Usa!" 

"You must be very lucky indeed," said Jubei after quieting the children. "The little ones believe you have seen Usa." 

"Who or what is Usa?" asked Vivian. 

"Usa is one of the old gods. In our mythology," explained Jubei. "Usa was the god of the people. Anyone who journeyed, such as we are journeying, would first make an offering to Usa for safe passage. If Usa favored you, you would never be lost. However, if you did not hold Usa's favor you would be lost, some say forever. All along the road you will see small shrines. These are the shrines to Usa." 

"She must be the poDosai!" said one of the children. The rest of the mob fell silent and stared at Vivian eyes wide in wonder. 

"The poDosai?" asked Vivian. 

Jubei laughed. "I don't think viviAn is the poDosai," remarked Jubei to the children. "She has no sword now does she?" 

They looked at her carefully and shook their heads, but rather than running off to play, continued to follow them whispering among themselves. 

"I apologize," said Jubei. "Children live in a world of their own, peopled with all kinds of strange and magical entities." 

"It's all right," Vivian assured her. "I have twelve of my own." 

"So many?" Jubei looked surprised. 

"My husband Bryan and I were both only children and we wanted a large family. They are all grown now and gone from home - starting their own lives. It's nice to once again hear little voices." 

Jubei smiled at her and fell silent for a while. 

"This poDosai," said Vivian. "Is it also one of your gods?" 

"No." replied Jubei. "No, more of a legend. Of course, the story changes depending on where you live, however according to Higoshi legend the poDosai for, lack of a better word, was the arm of the gods. We were not always a peaceful people. Long ago in the dark ages warrior kings who were interested in nothing but conquest ruled the lands. According to legend, the gods sent the poDosai to unite the people and drive out the warrior kings. The people begged him to rule, but he refused, saying that they should be responsible for their own governing. And so he left, vowing to return should ever the need arise." 

"And the children?" asked Vivian. "Are they just fond of the legend, or has the need for a poDosai arisen?" 

Jubei nodded her head sadly. "Some believe so."

* * *

Julian sat next to a gnarled and weather-beaten tree and watched his companions drill, their wooden swords flashing in the sunlight.

They had walked for the better part of the day only stopping briefly for a meal of a starchy substance not unlike rice with bits of dried meat mixed in before resuming their journey. He yawned. He had stayed up most of the night keeping a careful eye on the bandits to see what type of guard they kept should the need arise to try and escape. He was surprised to find they posted no guards until he realized there was no need. Anyone venturing out in this terrain in the dark was a fool. 

He had awoken to the sound of voices. Apparently it was their custom to engage in morning exercises and sword drills before starting out again on their journey. As an athlete, he found the drills to be intriguing. When the men drilled as individuals, their motions seemed to Julian to be not much more than posing and shouting. When the men paired off and drilled against each other, it seemed to him to be much more like a slow dance with weapons. It was not until each man faced off against Houk or one of his lieutenants that he realized how dangerous, and beautiful, their fighting became. He could tell he would have more than a few bruises and cuts to deal with before the day was out. 

With a shout the drill was completed and each man broke ranks to collect their belonging. Bekko came towards him, panting after the exertions of the drill and Julian noticed a large bruise on his forehead. 

"Doctor," said Bekko. "I have been given the honor to assist guiding you through the next leg of our journey." He pointed to a nearby ridge. "The way will be difficult and dangerous for one not used to the path." 

"Thank you," replied Julian reaching for his regenerator. "But allow me the honor of taking care of that bruise first." 

Bekko touched his forehead and smiled. "It is nothing. Yesterday you advised me not to fall. I am afraid you should have advised me not to forget to duck." 

"I was watching you drill," ventured Julian. "If I may offer advice, I would suggest you keep your elbow up when you do this." He passed his arm in front of his body in a sweeping motion. 

Bekko looked at him blankly. "I do not understand." 

Julian made a few more passes across Bekko's forehead with the regenerator and put the instrument away before standing. "May I?" he asked reaching for the sword. 

"Yes." 

Julian was surprised not at how heavy the sword was in his hands, but at the perfect balance. It was not the first time he had ever held a sword, he and Miles had used them many times in their holosuite adventures, but it was the first time he had held one made of real wood. At first glance it looked like nothing more than a long, thin piece of polished wood. On closer inspection, he could see the hilt was shaped to fit the grip and the blade, although not sharp, was carved to a slight wedge. Lost in admiration of the workmanship, he made a few tentative passes with the blade. 

"Aya!" said Bekko with something akin to admiration in his voice. "You know the ways of jutaba?" 

"What?" asked Julian. "No, but I do know a little about swordplay." 

"Yes, swordplay. Jutuba!" 

"Nothing like this though," insisted Julian. "Where was I? Oh, yes, your elbow. When you do this." Holding the sword to the right and away from him, the blade point down, he passed the sword in front of him. "You keep your elbow down allowing your opponent to deflect your blade. Now, if you hold your elbow up you will keep your opponent farther away and less able to strike." He made the motion again keeping his elbow high. "I think you will find that this works better." 

"Bekko!" shouted Houk. "Enough! Come!" 

Bekko scrambled to his feet and gave his leader a slight bow. "Doa." he shouted and with a sheepish grin turned to Julian who retuned the sword. "We must be going." 

"Is he always this irritable?" asked Julian once they were underway. "Houk I mean." 

Bekko looked around to see if anyone was close enough to hear. "No," he replied. "Houk is usually most jovial. However our best fighter fell ill and had to be left behind. Very bad luck for us all. There is much to be lost should we not be victorious." 

"I see," although Julian didn't really see at all. "How, if I may ask, did you become bandits?" 

"We have always been bandits," replied Bekko with a laugh. "It is a tradition. Now Doctor, here is where the track becomes dangerous. Watch my feet and do exactly as I do." 

Julian looked at the terrain in front of them and immediately wished he hadn't. They were at the top of the ridge. An extremely narrow path ran along the very top. One wrong step in either direction and the unlucky traveler would literally fall off the mountain. 

"Ready?" 

Julian took a deep breath and nodded. He was just about to set foot on the path when Bekko suddenly stopped, turned back and grabbing him by the arm pulled him aside. 

"What?" asked Julian alarmed. 

"I have had a mighty thought," declared Bekko. "You could fight for us. You know jutuba." 

"Wait a minute. As flattered as I am, I cannot fight." 

"But why?" 

"I am a Doctor. I've taken an oath to do no harm." 

"But you said you knew of playing with swords." 

"Sword play yes, but hacking away at hologram…ah…never mind…it was just as you say…playing with a sword. Not real. Not like this." 

"Aya," replied Bekko crestfallen. 

"Look," said Julian, who against all reason did not want to hurt the feelings of the bandit. "My job is to prevent injuries not cause them. However, if by helping you train, I can prevent any more injuries…then I'll do what I can to help you train but I will not fight." 

"Yes?" Bekko's face lit up immediately. "Thank you, Doctor! Thank you!" 

"Bekko!" shouted Houk. Julian turned to see the rest of the group well down the track. 

"Doa!" shouted Bekko and with one last beaming smile raced over the narrow track to catch up. 

Julian shook his head and cautiously set off after him.

* * *

Quark was getting a crick in his neck from looking up at Ty-ni. He did not like having to walk next to the horse, but it as preferable to walking behind it. The rain had cleared up by morning, leaving the forest awash in woody smells. In daylight Quark was able to see that it was not so frightening a place after all, although he would have preferred to have been stranded in a swamp.

"What exactly does this poDosai business entail?" he asked. Aside from running around in a diaper, he silently added to himself. 

"I am not poDosai yet," exclaimed his companion. "But I will be." 

"How nice for you." 

"Being poDosai is quite an honor you know," continued Ty-ni as though Quark had not spoken. "Fighting, wine, fighting, women, fighting, more wine and of course, more fighting. What man could ask for more?" 

Anyone who is not Klingon thought Quark. "Is there any profit in all that?" 

"Of course! As poDosai my every wish will be granted. What a life! No more having to hear people complain about the smallest things. No more having to say rinse please. No more floss. And no more smelly fish breath…." 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Quark. "Let's get back to the granting wishes thing. Your every wish?" 

"Of course!" 

"No. I mean every wish? Not just I'd like a second helping kind of wish? Not just a small farm in an out of the way spot kind of wish? But a give me my own country kind of wish?" 

"Of course! Nothing is too good for the poDosai!" 

"Do you need a manager?" asked Quark. The horse turned its head and stared at him. For a moment he was certain it raised an eyebrow. Quark impatiently waived it away, this was business and he had no intention of letting a mere dumb animal stall him. The horse shook its head and snorted. Quark stared at it suspiciously for a moment. No, he thought, it couldn't be. 

"Manager?" asked Ty-ni. "I have one of those all ready, an annoying little fellow." 

"How about a financial advisor? Surely as the poDosai, you will need someone to help you make the most of your wealth…while you're out fighting…I mean." 

"I had not thought of that," replied Ty-ni thoughtfully. 

I have a feeling this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful relationship, thought Quark.

* * *

They had been walking all day. Odo was mildly amused that his companion avoided the roads and preferred to travel cross-country. Near sunset they stopped for the night. Taking advantage of the time left before he would need to regenerate, he set down the pack given to him by the people of Sanshoka. Inside were four wooden dolls and a jacket of some kind. One of the dolls looked like the people of the village. One was similar but the shoulders were rounded and the neck short to the point of being nonexistent. One was round headed and painted the color of stone. The last was just a series of lumps.

Shaking his head, he placed the dolls back in their wrappings and took the pack and sword and hid them away in the tall grass. He glanced at his companion. She was sitting next to a fire, cooking the evening meal in a small pot. 

"Do not suppose," she said without looking at him. "That you can be so ungracious as to abandon the gift of the village." 

"I have no use for possessions," he replied. "And I have all ready said I will not use a weapon." 

"So you have. However, the dolls are not mere gifts. They represent the finest work the village has to offer. You must present them to the Vorta. The sword and the garment are symbols of your status as champion. By accepting the sword you have pledged yourself to the village. You may not leave them behind. Now, come eat." 

"I do not eat," he said. 

"You fast." It was statement not a question. 

"You said that you pledge your sword to the poDosai. Who is the poDosai?" 

"The poDosai," she replied. "Will once again bring justice to the people." 

"And…the Founder." He found it hard to speak of his people. "They have been hard to live under?" 

"At first." She gazed for a moment at her dinner. "You must understand" she said. "Before the Founder came our rulers had become corrupt and ruled in chaos. The Founder brought order. It was not easy to accept the new ways and some died. In time, we have accepted our fate. But do not be deceived, the Founder may have brought order, but not justice." 

"I see." Her words gripped Odo. She was right in her assessment of the Dominion. Order, he had discovered too late, was paramount to them, but not justice. Justice was just an excuse they used to impose their sense of order on the rest of the universe. He flinched as though struck, as he realized they had left him with neither. 

iSamu silently watched the inner struggle as it played across his features. "I believe you do," she replied softly. "Tell me, why do you not use weapons?" 

"I've never seen the need," he replied. "In all my life I have never used a weapon. I will not start now." 

"And yet you have killed before." 

"How…how do you know that?" 

"It is written all over you," she replied. "I saw it when you fought in the village. Do you know why you won that fight?" 

"The man was intoxicated, a child could have disarmed him." 

"Intoxicated yes, but not with wine. It was his own fear that intoxicated him. He was defeated before you even raised a hand. Your fear runs much deeper, it will be your downfall in the end." 

"I don't know what you mean," lied Odo. 

"The Founder," she replied not looking at him. "I know not what your interest in the Founder is. It is of no concern to me. However, if you want to succeed, you must search deep within yourself and defeat your fear. Once you have done that and once you have made peace with your ChauLi no opponent can defeat you." 

"My ChauLi?" 

"Your soul." 

"I do not believe I possess a soul," he said softly. 

"Then we must find you one."

* * *

All across the Alpha Quadrant little bits of subspace crackled with anger.

"And," continued Kira slamming her fist against her desk. "Just when the hell did you intend to tell me?" 

Admiral Ross was thankful he was on a ship thousands of light years away from Deep Space Nine. If truth be told, he would have liked to have been further away. "Colonel," he said. "Kira. The situation in the Gamma Quadrant is being treated on a strict need to know basis. Starfleet thought…" 

"You know exactly what Starfleet can do with their opinions," she replied. 

"What has Odo to say about all this?" 

"Odo's not on the Station," she admitted reluctantly. "But I still do not understand why you, of all people, seemed content not to say a word." 

"Look. I don't like this anymore than you do. But, and I'm sticking my neck out by even having this conversation, I am under orders not to discuss it with anyone." 

"What? Why?" 

He seemed to be deciding how much further he could risk. "You do not know this," he said finally. "But I'm being reassigned." 

"Reassigned?" 

"Yes. Things are heating up with the Romulans over territory in the Benzar Sector. It's been two years and they still have not vacated the Sector. I'm being reassigned to the Seventh Fleet." 

"Well, I'm very sorry for the Benzar Sector, but what does that mean for us?" 

"You should be getting a message soon from Starfleet. The new commanding officer for the Bajoran Sector will be Thomas Pendergast." 

"Wonderful." 

"And that's not all…" 

"What now?" 

"Word is, he's going to want to set up his headquarters on Deep Space Nine." 

That's the last thing I need right now, thought Kira.


	7. Chapter 6

**The Last Temptation of Odo – Chapter 6 **

By 

Creek Johnson and Nance Hurt

* * *

Disclaimer: We are but fleas on the elephants' posterior that is Paramount.

No infringement on their rights is intended. We hope none is taken.

* * *

From her position high in the trees iSamu sat and watched as her rather odd companion sank into the tall grass. The light of the full moon caught a faint movement and she could just catch a faint glint of amber before a bird rose up from the exact spot where Odo had disappeared and flew off into the night.

She exclaimed softly to herself and wondered what form of trickery had she just witnessed.

* * *

Quark looked from the wooden sword, to the horse and back to his companion. His ears must have been playing tricks on him for he could not have heard correctly.

"You want me to what?" he asked. 

"Train with me," said Ty-ni as though it were the most reasonable request in the world. 

"But…" 

"Do not tell me you have never held a jutuba before!" 

"I have not," exclaimed Quark. "A bat'leth once, but that was different." 

"Bat'leth?" asked Ty-ni. "Is it a sword?" 

"Of sorts. But…" 

"Then you have nothing to worry about," exclaimed his companion. "Just do what I do." 

Quark silently appealed to the horse. The beast snorted and shook its head. "Fat lot of help you are," murmured Quark. 

"Do you really think we should be doing this," he asked stalling for time. "After such a large breakfast?" 

"What better time?" replied Ty-ni. "I have an appointment tomorrow and I must be in prime condition. Now!" He raised the sword in a position Quark realized was similar to the batting stance popular in the human game of baseball. "Prepare to fight!" 

The things I do for latinum, thought Quark as he raised his sword in imitation of Ty-ni's stance. "Like this?" he asked. 

Ty-ni nodded in reply. After holding the position for a moment, he raised his left foot and balancing on his right foot, he slowly moved the sword so it was held in front of him. 

As they moved through the opening moments of the match, Quark found himself starting to enjoy what seemed to him to be a slightly ridiculous form of exercise. Not that he exercised, he though it a silly past time, but this was far superior to shooting at people with phasers or hacking away at people with bat'leths. 

After a good half hour Ty-ni stopped to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "Very good," he said taking a drink of water. "Now, we will engage in a mock battle, eh?" 

"Battle?" Quark did not like the sound of that at all. 

"I will not hurt you." 

"I've heard that before," replied Quark attempting to return the sword to his companion. "I've had enough, thank you." 

"Just one pass," coaxed Ty-ni. "How can I entrust my fortune to a man who does not know the taste of battle?" 

"Now just hold on a minute. I've tasted battle more times than I care to remember," insisted Quark. "And mock battle or not, I've had enough." 

"Very well." But Ty-ni made no attempt to accept the sword. Instead, with a cry, he lunged at Quark. 

Before Quark had time to think. Before he had time to scream. Before he even realized what was happening, he brought his sword up and in one swift movement brought the dull blade down on Ty-ni's head.

* * *

Julian was not sure what exactly had caused him to wake. He lay still and listened. Voices whispered close by. Opening his eyes, he was alarmed to find five faces very close to his, their heads tilted at impossible angles to their bodies. Before he could cry out, a hand closed over his mouth. He struggled only to find his arms held down by countless hands.

"Aya!" said a voice in his ear. "It is I, Doctor. Bekko." 

Julian quit struggling and was relieved as the hands released him. 

"Bekko?" he demanded. "What the hell are you thinking…?" 

"Shhhh," whispered a second voice. "Do not wake the others." 

Julian struggled into a sitting position, waiving away the hands that reached out to aide him. As his eyes adjusted to the dark he could make out their faces. He recognized them all as the worst fighters of the group. He treated each of them almost daily for injuries. 

"Will someone tell me what this is all about?" he asked. 

All but Bekko hung their heads and remained silent. 

"My associates were wondering," said Bekko in a tone of voice that was almost a confession. "If you would be so gracious as to train them as well." 

"Is that all?" asked Julian. He had been afraid this would happen. But as much as he deplored the idea that by helping them to stop hurting themselves they may, one day, use what he taught them to hurt others, he didn't see that he had much choice. At the rate these men were going, without his help they may not survive. 

"It is too much," said Bekko avoiding Julians gaze. "I thought as much. Please forgive…" 

"I'll do it. I just wished you had asked in the morning and not in the middle..." 

"We will disturb you no longer…" 

"Yes?" asked one of the others. Julian thought he recognized the voice as belonging to the one called Chaho. 

"Yes," confirmed Julian. "Only you must do me one favor." 

"Anything," cried Bekko and was immediately drawn to silence by his companion's hands covering his mouth. "Anything," he said again, his voice muffled. 

"We will discuss it in the morning. May I go back to sleep now?" 

"Of course," said Chaho, motioning for the group to scatter back to their beds. "Thank you, Doctor." 

The rest of the men bowed to him before disappearing into the dark. Julian just shook his head and tried to settle himself more comfortably. What have I gotten myself into, he thought as sleep retook him.

* * *

"Weapons!" shouted the Founder slamming his fist on the table hard enough to make the crockery dance. "It must have weapons. What kind of ship has no weapons?"

The Jem'Hadar merely burped in reply but said nothing. 

The Vorta quickly mopped up the spilled wine and sat his cup back upright on the table. "Perhaps," he ventured. "This ship has none." 

"Don't be ridiculous," replied the Founder sitting back in his chair. "Of course it does." 

"Perhaps," the Vorta continued not looking at his companions. "Perhaps, they were on a peaceful mission...or just lost. Perhaps…" 

"Perhaps," said the Founder mockingly. "Perhaps nothing!" 

"There is some sort of war going on out there," the Jem'Hadar reminded them. "We've monitored all sorts of warships come this way." 

"But not in two years," replied the Vorta quickly. "There have been no ships in the area for some time." 

"That means nothing, other than the fighting has moved to another part of space." 

"It means," said the Founder. "That we must protect ourselves against any who would venture to take what is ours." 

The argument was an old one. The Vorta folded his napkin and rose slowly from the table. "It's just…" he stopped, not sure how to begin to explain. 

"It's just nothing," said the Founder. "Where do you think you are going?" 

"I…ah…I thought I would go take another look at the ship." 

His statement was met with nods of approval. He slowly made his way to the door. 

"While you are at it," called the Founder after him. "See if you can find the weapons systems!"

* * *

"What are we doing here?" asked Odo looking at the small ornate building before him. Although he could not smell, he could tell the thin smoke that wafted out of the doors had the same consistency as the incense used by the Prylars in the Bajoran temple on the Station.

"We are here to meet a friend," replied iSamu. Rather than enter the building, she sat on a small stone bench and seemed prepared to wait. 

Odo remained standing. He had spent the better part of the night searching for any sign of the others and although he had seen hundreds of camps, he had found so sign of his lost companions. Feeling even more discouraged than he had before, he returned to their small camp shortly before dawn and settled himself in the tall grass to regenerate before the day began. 

If iSamu had noticed his absence, she said nothing, seemingly content to go about her routine in silence. Having packed her meager belongings, she shouldered her pack and motioning for him to follow, they set off across the fields at a trot. 

They had traveled the better part of the day without stopping before finally reaching this place. He glanced at his surroundings. The building sat alone on a small path that branched off of a paved road. The building was clearly hand made of wood, the walls narrow, the ceiling high; the floor raised a good half-meter off the ground. Inside there was a small foyer decorated in a script he could not read and in the back was some sort of alter upon which there were offerings similar to those he had seen in the garden outside Sanshoku. To the right of the alter a bowl of incense burned slowly. 

Now that he had a better look at it, he realized the building before him was an exact life sized replica of the small house he had seen in the garden. He was about to ask its purpose, when his attention was caught by a blur of black. A large black bird swooped past them, landing on one of the beams of the building. It eyed Odo with blatant curiosity. 

Just then, he heard the sound of footsteps on the gravel path. Looking up, he saw an old man approach. The stranger was of the same build as iSamu and the people of North. Despite his advanced years, there was something about the eyes that spoke of a much younger person within. 

He approached Odo with the same scrutiny evidenced by the bird. 

"I have heard," he said of no one in particular. "There is talk among the caravans of a man who fights without weapons. Is this him?" he asked. "Could this be the poDosai?" 

"He is not the poDosai," replied iSamu. "But he requires your help nonetheless."

* * *

Weapons, thought the Vorta settling himself into the pilots chair. It's always weapons.

His hands touched the controls and he pulled up the personal logs stored there. The face of Julian Bashir appeared on the screen. "Doctor's personal log," intoned the voice of the Doctor. 

"But not with you," said the Vorta, settling back in his chair. He whispered the names of the rest of the crew, rolling each over his tongue. "How long do you think," he wondered out loud. "How long before someone notices your absence? How long before this ezRi comes to look for you?" 

He stared at the image before him. "And can you stay alive long enough for them to get here?" 

He stretched, sliding his hands across the surface of the controls. He nearly jumped out of his seat as a control to his right suddenly beeped to life. He leaned forward and eyed it carefully. 

Against his better judgment, he slowly reached out and touched the control. The sound of static filled the cabin. 

Looking around to make sure he was alone, he leaned toward the controls. 

"Hello?" he said cautiously.

* * *

"What's going on?" asked Vivian as the caravan stopped, its members moving quickly to the side of the road.

"I do not know," answered Jubei. She took a step forward and glanced down the road behind them. "Someone must be coming." 

A faint whisper moved through the crowd. "It's the Jem'Hadar Guard," said Jubei. "They must be on urgent business for the Founder." 

Great, thought Vivian, taking step back. Just what I do not need right now - to be captured by the Jem'Hadar. 

"What is the matter?" asked Jubei noticing Vivians change in position. "Do you not wish to see?" 

"No." replied Vivian quickly taking the hand of one of the children and pushing them forward. "It's not that. I just thought the children might like to see." 

"How thoughtful." 

It seemed to be a lifetime before she could hear the sound of boots marching in time. She held her breath, her heart beating in time to their footsteps. In an instant they approached. She blinked. 

There on the road were about thirty young men jogging in pairs of two. She looked more closely and realized they wore a gray uniform, black boots and caps, and had some type of weapon strapped across their backs. She wasn't exactly sure what she had expected to see, but the group that passed looked exactly like the Higoshi. Clearly not Jem'Hadar, they were the same pale slightly stooped shouldered people she had all around her. The only thing that even slightly resembled the Jem'Hadar of her acquaintance were their uniforms. 

She took a step closer and at that moment her comm. badge chirped to life. She stepped back, but not before the sound had drawn the attention of one of the Guards. He stared hard at her for a moment and much to her relief he did not stop, but continued on his way. 

She quickly ducked behind one of the wagons and touched her comm. in time to hear a thin reedy voice. 

"Hello?" said the voice. 

"Who is this?" asked Vivian. There followed a pregnant pause. 

"Are you the Doctor?" asked the voice on the other end of the comm.. 

"No. Who are you?" 

"Sorry," came the hurried reply before the link went dead. 

That was odd, thought Vivian. Jem'Hadar guards that are not Jem'Hadar. Someone tinkering around with the runabout. She realized she would need to try to re-establish contact with the runabout when she could find some time alone. However, now was not the right time, for as much as she was enjoying her traveling companions, she did not know that she could entirely trust them. 

"Is there a problem?" asked Jubei as Vivian returned to the group. 

"No," Vivian assured her. "So, tell me about the these Jem'Hadar."

* * *

Odo remained seated in the cramped room and watched the old man busy himself with an assortment of pots and containers that crowded the small workbench. "I do not understand," he complained. "You just can't give someone a soul as though you were giving them a birthday present."

The old man laughed. "I am not offering you a soul," he replied lifting a large box from off a shelf. "Souls must be found, or lost, depending on the circumstances. All I will give you is a touchstone. The rest is up to you." He made a small sound as he removed an ornately carved box from within the larger container. 

"Found your box of souls have you?" muttered Odo not finding the situation the least bit amusing. It was his disbelief in his own spark of immortality that had prevented him all these years from embracing any religious belief. That coupled with the fact that his own people had genetically engineered two subservient races for the express purpose of having someone to manipulate for their own ends, had soured him on the whole notion of gods and worship. That and his experience in the law had taught him that even the most devout could be capable of the worst of crimes all done in the name of religion. 

"Now," interrupted the old man. "The selection of the stone is most important. When were you born?" 

The question took Odo by surprise. "I don't know." 

"Approximately then." 

"I don't know. About sixty years ago I think." 

"Your parents? When were they born?" 

"I…I don't have parents." 

"Ah," replied the old man. "A foundling then." 

"Yes." Odo shifted uncomfortably in his chair. 

"For you the universe is made up of more questions than answers, yes? The fear of abandonment runs deep does it not?" 

"Yes." Odo found himself choking on the word. The cramped room had suddenly grown smaller leaving him surrounded by a feeling of suffocation. 

"Emotion is not to be trusted is that so?" continued the old man. "Especially in what one desires the most? Love, understanding, a place to call home?" 

Odo abruptly stood not wishing to continue the conversation. He had encountered many a charlatan in his career, most trained to read the willing victim like an open padd. He was not about to allow his own troubles to lead him down that path. "I'm sorry," he said. "But I fail to see what…" 

"Here," replied the old man holding up a small green stone. "This is the one." He busied himself for a moment picking through the items on the table. Satisfied he had all he needed, he motioned for Odo to follow as he left the room and entered a small garden to the back. 

Odo caught his breath. It was the most beautiful garden he had ever seen. Every plant, every rock, even the sunlight conspired to present a world built not of raw material but of the essence of harmony. In one corner sat iSamu, her eyes closed, the sun bathing her face. The old man sat on a bench near the door and beckoned Odo to join him. 

"Beautiful is it not?" he asked. 

Odo agreed, but kept wary eye on his companion. The old man placed the bits and pieces he brought with him in his lap and began to work with his fingers. 

Odo watched as he took a pit of wire and fashioned a loop around the bit of stone, then ran a length of leather rough the loop tying the ends of the leather into a knot. When finished, he handed Odo the finished product. "Here," he said. "Wear this around your neck." 

"Why?" 

"Until you find your soul, this will be its avatar." 

Odo looked at the bit of stone with skepticism. "And," he asked cautiously. "How exactly will I find my soul?" 

"Consider iSamu," The old man replied. "What is she doing?" 

"I don't know." 

"Consider." 

"She's sitting in the sun," replied Odo. 

"Yes. But what else?" 

"She's thinking, and breathing, and getting sunburned, and…and just being." 

"Exactly," said the old man with approval. "She is simply being iSamu. That is how you will find your soul – by just being Odo." 

Odo laughed. "And people pay you for this type of advise?" he asked. 

"No," replied the old man. "They pay me for trinkets. The advice is beyond price." 

"Well if all you tell them is to be. No wonder." 

The old man fell silent and after a moment he slapped Odo on the knee and laughed. "I like you," he said. "Skepticism suits you. But," he became serious. "I will tell you one thing more. To find your true center, your true ChauLi, you must concentrate on the moment when you first truly understood the universe and your place in it. Only then will you know peace." 

Odo's attention was draw away by the sharp cry of a bird. He looked up to find the black bird had moved to perch on a nearby tree limb. When he turned to ask the old man what he had meant he found himself alone on the bench. 

The old man had disappeared.

* * *

"Heart attack," muttered Quark. "Who would have thought he would have suffered a heart attack?"

He walked along the track little caring where they went. 

"Fine one minute," he said to his companion. "Then I give him a little tap on the head and…dead…heart attack." 

"I did not kill him," he insisted. "Tricorders do not lie. Well, they lie when you program them to, but I didn't mess with it. Heart attack it said." 

"Why me?" he demanded. "Why me? Here I was all set to make a fortune and it has to die of a heart attack." 

"I'll tell you one thing. If that stupid, lump of…lumps…wasn't all ready dead, I'd kill him." 

"Wait!" Quark stopped in the middle of the track. "Maybe he isn't dead after all. Maybe the tricorder was wrong! We have to go back!" 

The horse stood its ground, refusing to budge; it shook its head sadly. Quark looked at it in silence, the horror of his situation dawning on him. 

"I guess you are right," he said eventually, his shoulders slumped in defeat. "What do we do now?" 

The horse nibbled gently at his lapel before nudging him with its muzzle. 

"This way?" 

In reply, the horse nudged him in the back and took a step forward. 

"This way." Quark continued slowly down the path. "Heart attack, who would have thought…" 


	8. Chapter 7

**The Last Temptation of Odo – Chapter 7 **

By 

Creek Johnson and Nance Hurt

* * *

Disclaimer: We are but fleas on the elephants' posterior that is Paramount.

No infringement on their rights is intended. We hope none is taken.

* * *

Julian Bashir watched with amusement as the group dropped into a crouching position along a line of rocks. He knew from personal experience anyone looking at them from the far side of the outcropping would only see a collection of large stones, but from this side, he had no trouble seeing the rest of their bodies. Just a few feet further up the slope upon arrival, he thought, and the bandits would not have fooled him in the first place. Still, he had to recognize he most likely would not have been successful in crossing the mountains without their help. They had been traveling for days, slowly making their way down the mountain before coming to rest in this spot. Taking a step forward, he could see the rocky slope give way to a green and verdant valley. At the foot of the hill stood a group of men in earnest conversation with Houk.

"What's going on?" he asked of no one in particular. 

"Jem'Hadar guard," replied Bekko. 

Julian immediately dropped into a crouching position. The last thing he desired was to be taken prisoner by the Jem'Hadar. "What do they want?" he asked. He looked around to see where he had left his pack and wondered if the phaser power cell had enough of a charge left to do him any good. 

"Houk, has gone to find out," Chaho replied. "It would be a great victory if we were to defeat the Jem'Hadar's Guards." 

"You dream," hissed one of the other men. "The Guards would never fight a group as lowly as ours." 

"Wait a minute," said Julian. Keeping low, he glanced over the rocks at the group below. "You said they are the Jem'Hadar Guards. They don't look much like Jem'Hadar to me." From his vantage point, he could just make out the features of the men, who looked for all intents and purposes like the rest of the Minami with the exception they all wore gray uniforms. 

"Correct," replied Bekko. 

"Let me get this straight. Are you saying they are Jem'Hadar, or are they the Jem'Hadar's Guards?" 

"What I mean," he continued meeting their blank stares. "When you say the Jem'Hadar are you talking about many Jem'Hadar or just the one?" 

"He makes a joke," replied Chaho. "Everyone knows there is only the one Jem'Hadar although he commands many troops." 

"Aya," called out one of the men. "Houk returns." 

The men were on their feet, calling out to their leader before Julian could ask another question. Just one Jem'Hadar, he thought, how could there be only one? Unless, this Jem'Hadar had somehow managed to also overcome his addiction to Ketracel White… His attention was drawn away from his own musings by the return of Houk. 

The leader stood on the outcropping and raised his hands to quiet the group. "Bandits!" he said in a loud voice. "The patrol you see below you has heard our invitation to engage in battle and by way of reply they have offered us an insult!" 

The crowd remained silent. No wonder, thought Julian. Even if these men were not really Jem'Hadar, they had the look about them of professional soldiers. The bandits would not stand a chance against them. 

"They," continued Houk. "Have declined the ritual of tea and battle, saying they have no time to waste on sensu counters such as we are!" 

Julian watched as some of the group hung their heads in shame as others exchanged glances and muttered among themselves. 

"However," said Houk. "You know the leader of this patrol. It is Ogon a man without honor - a man made of straw. I say we return his words with fire and defend the honor of our profession!" 

In a grand gesture, Houk swept this sword from its sheath and held it high above his head. "What say you?" he shouted. 

In reply, the group as one replied with a resounding shout.

* * *

Where the woods began to thin stood a clearing. On the far side of the clearing stood a walled village. Still in shock over the death of Ty-ni and his lost opportunity to make a fortune, Quark followed the horse as it approached the village, little caring where they went. They had nearly reached the gates when he became aware of a voice.

"Where the hell have you been?" said the voice. "You're late." 

Quark looked to the left and then to the right and finally under the horse, where he spotted a pair of legs. Walking around the horse, he found himself face to face with the shortest man he had ever seen. Upon closer inspection the man appeared to be a miniature of Ty-ni, except this one wore clothes. "Who are you?" he asked. 

"I'm SukiDa the Manager," replied the man in a tone of voice that suggested Quark was an idiot for asking. "And what have you done with my poDosai?" 

"That's an interesting question…" began Quark, as he wondered if it were not too late to run for the woods. 

"If you think so you're even more feeble minded than you look. Look, I've got a village that needs a champion. You show up with the champion's horse. Now, do I call the police, or do you tell me where my poDosai is? 

"He's dead," replied Quark. "Dropped dead of a heart attack yesterday morning. Follow the trail if you don't believe me." 

"Dead!" He eyed Quark closely. "How do I know you're telling the truth? If you have nothing to hide why didn't you bring along the body, eh?" 

"Hello? Do I look like I could sling that body on the back of a horse? The man was a giant!" 

"Hmmm," replied SukiDa. He looked at the horse, which nodded its head and pawed at the ground as if to confirm Quark's story. "Guess you are right," he said eventually. "That's what I get for hiring an amateur. Dentists! Don't know a good thing when they see it." 

"Wait a minute," said Quark. "Are you telling me Ty-ni was a dentist? Tall guy, ran around in a diaper? A dentist?" 

"What's the matter? Am I speaking too fast for you? Using too many big words? Why am I even bothering talking to you, I might was well talk to the horse. I don't suppose," he said addressing the horse. "You would know where I can find a poDosai at the last minute do you?" 

The horse snorted and jerked his head in Quark's direction. 

"What? Him? Are you crazy?" 

"Now just hold on…" said Quark shooting the horse a look that spoke volumes. 

"I don't know," replied SukiDa rubbing his chin. "He is sorta tallish, not the giant I promised, but tall. Spread your arms." 

"I fail to see…" demanded Quark but complying with the demand. 

"Not bad. Not great but not bad. Do you own a sword?" 

"Only the one belonging to Ty-ni…" 

"Well, he's not going to need it now will he? You know," he said to the horse. "This just might work." 

"Just one minute!" 

SukiDa took Quark by the arm and lead him a few steps away from the horse. "Look son," he said confidentially. "What do you do for a living?" 

"I own a bar," replied Quark. 

"Well now ain't that grand, we're in the same line of business you and I. We both provide entertainment for those who are willing to pay. So you can understand my dilemma, I accepted a contract to provide a champion for a village that can't produce one on their own, but the talent fails to appear. As a business man what would you do?" 

"I'd make my brother Rom fill in," said Quark "But I'm not…" 

"This Ron fella is he taller?" 

"No." 

"Pity. Now look," continued SukiDa. "It's very easy. You take a sample of the jewelry produced by the good folks of Kohaku here, take them to the Capital, present them, do an exhibition fight or two and that's it. What's not to like?" 

"What's your cut?" asked Quark, his ears tingling at the mention of jewels and jewelry. "And how many jewels?" 

"The kid's brighter than he looks," replied SukiDa speaking once again to the horse. "A chest full of the local jewelers finest work. Seeing as how I'll be doing you a favor by taking care of this little mess with the dentist, and as how this is your first gig as a poDosai, I'll only take 50% of the proceeds." 

"Don't be ridiculous." For the first time since landing on the planet, Quark felt he had some control over his circumstances. "Tell you what, I'll stay here with the body and you go on to the Capital." 

"Forty percent," said SukiDa. "And I'll…ah…throw in the horse." 

The horse snorted. 

"Keep the horse," insisted Quark. "He's not the best of company." 

The horse turned and gave Quark a look that spoke volumes. 

"Thirty percent. Or I take my offer elsewhere." 

"Twenty percent," replied Quark "Or do I march right into the village and tell everyone I see what a lousy poDosai I really am?" 

"I like you kid," said SukiDa offering Quark his hand. "Twenty percent it is. I'll have my secretary draw up the papers and you can sign them when you reach the Capital. Here's my card. Under the circumstances I'd better collect the jewels and you can be on your way. You understand don't you? You're tall, but hardly the giant I promised." 

Quark hugged the horse's head in delight once the cask had been presented and it's contents verified. "I'm going to be filthy rich," he confided to his equine companion and moved to tie his treasure securely to the saddle. 

"Here's my card," said SukiDa tucking a small rectangle of cardboard in the horse's reigns. "Call me if anything happens. My service always knows where to find me." The horse shook his head dislodging the card. Picking the piece of paper up off the ground with its lips, the horse chewed on it for a moment before spitting it back out. "Poor slob," said SukiDa in a confidential tone. "He really has no idea does he? Never mind." He patted the horse on the muzzle. "That my friend is show business. If you're lucky, he'll be a quick learner."

* * *

"You are an interesting opponent," commented iSamu lowering her sword and wiping the perspiration from her brow. Odo dropped his hands and relaxed his stance. They had been sparing for some time and although he was surprised to find himself enjoying the experience, he could not shake the growing anxiety he felt at the thought of facing one of his own people again. There were so many questions that demanded answers.

"Especially for one who does not possess a ChauLi." She pointed to the stone hung round his neck. Each day he wore it; it became a darker shade of green. "The stone warms to you," she commented. 

"You can't seriously believe…" His response was cut short as iSamu quickly brought up the dull blade to renew her attack. An unexpected blow to her sternum sent her crashing to the ground. 

"I believe," she said ignoring his outstretched hand. "That although you are much faster than you look." In one swift movement she swept his legs out from under him and regained her feet so that their positions were reversed. "You are far too confident in your own abilities." 

"I thought you said it was my fear that would defeat me," he replied, not bothering to stand. "Now I am too overconfident?" 

"Mock me if you will," she replied putting away her sword. "But I do not believe this weapon can cause you harm no matter how skillful the opponent. However, I also believe despite your physical strength you may be destroyed by a single skillfully spoken word or deed. For it is here you are most fragile." She pointed to her head and her heart. "These are the places you are most vulnerable." 

"Am I so transparent?" he asked. Having spent his life masking his emotions, it was an alarming thought to realize a stranger could see though him so easily. 

"It is my job to look for weaknesses where ever I find them. Not all opponents are as thorough. You must be prepared for any contingency. A clever opponent will explore all your weaknesses, be they physical or mental. You must dig deep within, search out your own weaknesses and defeat them before someone uses them against you." 

"What do we do now?" he asked, suddenly reminded of his last conversation with Kira. How, he had asked, can I be what you need for me to be when I don't even know who I am? He grudgingly had to admit to himself that there was a great deal of truth in what iSamu said. He had allowed his fear to take control, but he was damned it he knew how to get his life back. 

"I," replied iSamu. "Am going to take a bath. I suggest you do as the Old Man instructed and simply just be."

* * *

Julian watched with trepidation the drama unfolding before him. From his hiding place a safe distance from the fighting, he was well aware part of him regretted the promise he had forced upon his "pupils" that they not use what they had learned to kill another being. If this patrol was in the service of the Jem'Hadar, even if it were just one Jem'Hadar, then the bandits may well find themselves in the position of having to kill to defend themselves.

Trepidation turned to amazement, when after the initial engagement of the two forces, it became apparent the bandits were holding their own against superior forces. Amazement turned to pride as Julian watched his five pupils hold their own and turn the tide of the battle. Pride overwhelmed him with joy as, in a final rush, the bandits forced the Jem'Hadar's men to concede defeat by throwing down their weapons and surrendering the field. 

Without giving his actions a second thought, he leapt to his feet and shouted. 

Any further exclamations died on his lips, as the leader of the patrol looked his way. Julian saw the look of pure hatred on the man's face turn to suspicion at the sight of Julian. The man spoke sharply to Houk before gathering up his wounded and setting off across the valley.

* * *

Left alone while iSamu bathed in the nearby river, Odo lay in the tall grass. All of his life, he had been urged by just about everyone he had ever encountered to be something. Even his own people expected him to be something he was not. The trouble was he had never really spent much time considering what he was as opposed to what was expected of him.

A remark made long in his past was called to mind. 'I have just spent two hours being everything in that garden,' he remembered saying, 'and I have no more idea of what it is to be a rock than I did before.' All this time, he thought, I've traveled so far only to discover I've spent my life being me and I have no more idea of what it is to be me than I did before. 

Feeling as though the weight of the universe threatened to crush him, he attempted to shake off the feeling by concentrating on what the Old Man had advised. Closing his eyes, he thought of the first time in his life he understood his place in the Universe. 

His thoughts drifted to the first time he stood on the Founders home world. The first time he touched one of his own kind and the small miracle of his first taste of what it was to link with another changeling. He shivered at the memory. How large the Universe became in that instant. How full of wonder and possibility. He felt his spirit soar with the memory. How after a lifetime of longing he had finally come home. 

His right hand tingled as he remembered the Founder's touch, how he had stared at his hand as though he had never truly seen it before. Nerys had held that same hand when they had left the planet together, her touch different, solid, reassuring. 

Nerys. He closed his eyes, seeing her face in his mind's eye. She was always there for him. His one constant in an ever-changing universe and yet… He thought of the last time he had seen her and how in the end even she had sent him away. 

An irrational fear gripped him, leaving him gasping for air. He felt as though he were suffocating. 

Always the outsider, he thought, his emotions plunging him back into despair. No, he thought. This could not be what the Old Man had meant. 

He sat up, suddenly aware of a burning sensation at the spot on his chest where the stone touched his skin. He quickly held it away from him, the stone hot to the touch. Glancing up, he saw iSamu sitting nearby, a faint smile on her lips. 

"Wrong memory," she said simply.

* * *

Kira Nerys sat in her office and stared out the view port. A week had passed since their last communication from the team sent to KuruTame and still no word from Odo. She berated herself for allowing him to leave as he did. Not that she believed for a moment he would not return. She knew in her heart that he would come back; he would always come back, just as she would always be here waiting for him. But still…

At the sound of a throat being loudly cleared, she suddenly was reminded she was not alone. 

"Colonel?" asked Ovin Bog, Leasing Manager for the Promenade. "Is there a problem?" 

"Sorry," she said. "You were saying?" 

"As you are aware, at any given point, the occupancy rate of the Promenade runs consistently at around a rate of 80-85% full. As you know, the Ministry of Trade has been after us for some time now to make the most of the space provided for businesses, namely…" 

"Namely, the Ministers are interested in us turning a profit as far as the Promenade is concerned. Yes, I know. Have you reminded them that this is essentially a Military Installation?" 

"As instructed," he replied. "The Ministers feel we are a bit too…conservative…in our selection of the type of business allowed on the Promenade." 

"I will not," said Kira sharply. "Under any circumstances, allow the type of business that caters to the…" 

"Colonel." 

"Massage parlors. Thinly veiled houses of ill…" 

"I'm very aware of your position…" 

"Quark's is bad enough…but at least his holosuites have to pass certain health… 

"I think I've found a solution," Ovin said quickly. 

"You have?" She looked at the little man and was once again reminded how much he reminded her of a bird. "How?" 

"A proposal recently received from a company called the…" He consulted his padd. "The Centurion Corporation. They want to rent all available space on the Promenade and they are willing to pay…ah…quite a generous amount, actually." 

"And what exactly does this Centurion Corporation do?" asked Kira. 

"I have no idea, actually," confessed Ovin. "They call themselves…information brokers…whatever that means." 

"Why would information brokers need all that space?" 

"For their own computer systems, supposedly. When I explained that they would only have limited use of the Station's computer systems, their agent said that…ah…basic functions, such as environmental controls and light, would be all they needed as they would be bringing their own independent systems." 

"Their agent?" asked Kira. 

"Yes. One Mr. Pilgrim. Not exactly a…ah…talkative man, actually." 

"I see." Suspicion was slowly dawning on Kira. "Have Security run a thorough check on this Centurion Corporation and report their findings directly back to me. Stall this Mr. Pilgrim if necessary." 

Okay, Mr. Pilgrim, she thought turning back to the view port. What kind of game are you playing?

* * *

Julian watched as the group danced around the burning effigy of a straw man in celebration of their victory. Although he was pleased they had managed to win with few injuries, he was still haunted by the look on the face of the leader of the Jem'Hadar patrol. It was the look of a man who would make it his life's work to get even in any way he could.

"Why do you not celebrate?" asked Bekko as he sat heavily down on the ground next to Julian. "It is a great victory!" 

"But at what price?" he asked. "The leader of the Jem'Hadar…." 

"Ogon?" asked Bekko. "I wish my wife were here to have seen the look on his face…" 

"You know him then?" 

"Yes. He was once one of us." 

"He was a bandit?" asked Julian somewhat surprised. 

"Once. But he was dishonest and was driven from our ranks. We found out later that he had gone to the Capital and eventually joined the Jem'Hadar's troops." 

"A dishonest bandit?" 

"Sensu counters!" shouted Chaho, dancing up to them. "Oh my friends it is a great day!" He quickly executed a giddy jig that sent him tumbling to the ground laughing. "Bekko! Ogon has been defeated and I fear I am drunk with happiness." 

"Chaho," replied Bekko. "Ogon was not worthy to be a sensu counter. Now it appears he is not worthy to guard the Jem'Hadar either! It is a great day indeed!" 

Pushing himself in to an upright position, Chaho studied Julian with interest. "Doctor," he said soberly. "We are greatly in your debt. But you do not celebrate the…sensu counters…victory?" 

"I very much doubt Ogon will allow your victory to go unpunished." 

Chaho snorted, but Bekko held up his hand to forestall him from replying. "Upon reflection, I fear the Doctor is correct," he said. "Ogon is not a honorable man. He will not accept defeat lightly." 

"True," agreed Chaho regaining his feet. "Let him but try to engage us again and I will personally take his jutuba and make him eat it!" He danced away from them shouting as he went. 

With a shout from the others, Bekko rose to join them. "Will you not dance?" he asked. 

"No. I'm not much of a dancer," confessed Julian. "But do not let me keep you." 

"Bekko," he called out as the young man started to walk away. "What exactly is a sensu counter?" 

"Sensu…? It is a derisive name for our profession." 

"But what have sensu to do with being a bandit?" 

"Nothing," cried Bekko. "It is a derisive name for accountants." 

"But…you're accountants?" asked Julian clearly puzzled. 

"Of course!" replied Bekko with pride. "Certified and licensed each and every one." Reading the look on Julian's face, he laughed. "You did not think we were…you are a funny man, Doctor… Bandit is the name of our team!"

* * *

The Vorta wrung his hands as he paced the corridors outside his quarters. He had spent the evening wondering how exactly he could disable the weapons systems on the spacecraft without it appearing to be sabotage, finally giving up when he admitted to himself he did not know enough about the craft to do anything. There was only one alternative left open to him. He would have to contact someone from the ships crew. It was a risk, but he would have to take it.

He had spent the last five minutes attempting to go to the ship, only to stop himself at the last minute. No, he thought. I have to do this and set off at a trot. Not far into the public areas of the castle, he literally ran into one of the officers of the Guard. 

The Captain apologized for not looking where he was going and had turned to take his leave before the Vorta had the presence of mind to ask him why he was in such a hurry. 

"Urgent reports from the countryside," replied the Captain. "Strange occurrences, I thought it best to report as quickly as possible." 

"I'll accept the report," said the Vorta. "The Jem'Hadar is busy at the moment. Ah…preparations for the Festival." 

"Sir!" The Captain handed over the report. "It is most likely nothing," he confided. "But better safe than sorry." 

"Excellent Captain. You are to be commended." 

The Vorta scanned the report quickly. Oh dear, he thought. There were reports of a stranger seen in the Southern Hoku district that disrupted a village festival and when challenged, refused to fight with the jutuba. Even more disturbing was the body of a dentist found in the forests of Nishi. The dentist's last known companion was a stranger who belonged to no known Prefecture. Another report placed a strange woman traveling with a group of pilgrims from the Higoshi region. The woman had a piece of jewelry that apparently concealed a communications device. 

The Vorta froze in his tracks. A woman with a piece of jewelry…communications device…of course, it had to be. Hastily tucking the report away, he ran as fast as he could for the runabout, totally unaware the pages of the report fluttered out of his sleeve as he ran.

* * *

Through a pair of binoculars, Ogon watched as the group of accountants left the last of the rolling foothills and waded into the tall grass of the valley, his eyes seeking out the stranger in their midst. Neither Higoshi nor Hoku, he began to suspect the stranger of being much more than merely an outsider from another prefecture.

Putting the binoculars away, he signaled for one of his subordinates. 

"Doa," said the man springing to attention. 

"Take the wounded back to our barracks," ordered Ogon. "And report what you have seen to our superiors in the Capital." 

"Sir!" replied the subordinate. "What about the rest of the patrol?" 

"They will stay here with me," replied Ogon looking off into the distance with narrowed eyes. "We have a score to settle with these Bandits."

* * *

Vivian waited until she was sure the camp was settled for the night before cautiously moving a short distance from the last tent. Apparently not everyone was asleep as a few tents still were lit with the soft glow of lanterns, but she was confident anyone hearing her pass would assume she was on her way to the public conveniences and not challenge her.

She had just passed the last of the tents when the sound of her comm. nearly caused her to jump out of her skin. 

"Who is this," she whispered sharply. 

"Ah…Hello?" said a voice she recognized as the person who had contacted her before. "Is anyone there?" 

"This is Vivian Landis," she replied. "Who are you and what have you done with my runabout?" 

The Vorta paused, uncertain how much to tell. "Ah…" he said eventually. "My name is sanKe." He giggled. It had been many years since anyone had called him by his name. 

Oh great, thought Vivian, a giggler. Most likely a teenager with too much time on his hands. "Listen Sanke," she said slowly. "This is very important. Where are you exactly?" 

"Where I am is not important," replied the Vorta. "You are in danger and I want to help, but first I must know how to dismantle the weapons systems on your craft. Do you know who can help me?" 

What the hell is this? thought Vivian.


	9. Chapter 8

**The Last Temptation of Odo – Chapter 8 **

By 

Creek Johnson and Nance Hurt

* * *

Disclaimer: We are but fleas on the elephants' posterior that is Paramount.

No infringement on their rights is intended. We hope none is taken.

* * *

It just keeps getting curiouser and curiouser, thought Vivian Landis. She glanced around her, eyes scanning the dark. Satisfied she was alone, she asked. "Would you remind repeating that?" 

"I said," replied the Vorta. "Where I am is not important. You, and your companions, are in danger and I want to help, but first I must know how to dismantle the weapons systems on your craft. Can you help me?" 

"Listen. Sanka…" 

"sanKe." 

"Whatever. Do your parent know what you are up to?" 

There was a short pause. "You think I am a prankster!" 

"Aren't you?" 

"No! No, I am deadly serious." 

"Prove it," she demanded. "Where exactly are my companions?" 

"Ah," replied the Vorta. "The disbursement field…" 

"Yes." 

"The Founder ordered you to be scattered to the four winds. Instead, I set it to just relocate you." 

"You?" asked Vivian. "You work for the Founder?" 

"Yes. I do not know exactly where each of your are, the field is not that accurate, but based on reports that are starting to arrive, I believe you are in the Eastern Prefecture among the Higoshi." 

"And the others?" 

"Again, based on reports, one of you is in the West among the Nishi, one is in the North among the Hoku." 

"That's three." 

"The fourth is unknown." Vivian thought she detected a note of sadness in the voice. "Logically, the fourth should be somewhere in the South among the Minami, but there has been no report…" The Vorta stopped. He thought could hear footsteps approaching. 

"Hello?" said Vivian. "Are you still there?" 

"Someone approaches," replied the Vorta quickly. "I must go. I will contact you again." 

"But…" 

The comm. went dead. 

Scattered to the four winds, thought Vivian as she made her way back to camp. Sanke had made it sound as though the field was supposed to destroy them, not unlike a transporter that beams someone into space. Well, she thought, if Sanke did in fact work for the Dominion, it would be in her best interest to play along.

* * *

With a war cry, Chudan crested the high bank and surveyed the river below. The buckets hanging from each end of his sword swung wildly in the breeze. In his mind, the banks of the river suddenly became populated with several of his enemies. Swinging his sword in order to deal with his imaginary foes, he was momentarily startled as the empty buckets were flung away from him, only to bounce down the slope.

Covering his mouth, his eyes wide with embarrassment, he looked around to see if any of the men had noticed his childlike behavior. The pale light of early morning showed no activity among the camp. Satisfied he had not been observed, he once again warmed to his fantasy. Lifting the sword, he charged down the bank, the buckets having been elevated to treasures he would give his life to defend. His imaginary foes fought well, but not well enough for a warrior such as he. In one last gallant act to defend his treasure, he swung his sword, lost his balance, tripped over the bucket and lay on the banks of the river laughing. 

Aya, he thought. If only his family could see him now. Just one year out of school and all ready apprenticed to, in his opinion, some of the finest accountants in the South. He kicked his feet in joy and suddenly remembered the buckets. Dawn was just breaking, the sun would soon be up and his teammates would be calling for fresh water in which to cook breakfast. He would not let them down. 

Scrambling to his feet, he picked up the one bucket and began looking for the other. Singing softly to himself, he finally spotted it near a dense clump of rushes not far away. 

"There you are," he said to the bucket. Reaching down, he did not notice the pair of feet until it was too late. Before he could call out, a hand was clasped over his mouth. Struggling against the many hands that held him, he looked up and into the hard face of Ogon.

* * *

They had traveled beyond the tall grassy fields, so Odo had no choice but to land in a cluster of trees a few kilometers from their camp. His nightly search of the skies had once again proven fruitless. Quickly reforming in his humanoid form, he climbed down out of the tree and made his way back to the camp.

Approaching, he heard voices. There by a small fire sat iSamu and a strange man. The man stood at his approach and Odo noted that like iSamu, he was also of medium height, slightly stooped shoulders, long neck and a v shaped head. The only thing that distinguished him from the other of his people was a cap perched perilously on his head and a dark uniform. 

"Is this him?" demanded the man. 

"This is Odo," she agreed. "Odo this is Toshi." 

Odo watched the man warily as Toshi stood and circled him. "Is there something wrong?" he asked. 

"Toshi has brought us news." 

In response, Toshi pushed his finger into Odo's chest. Odo was quick to note the somewhat surprised look on Toshi's face when his finger met with flesh that became noticeably harder under this touch. "News for iSamu not for you," warned Toshi. "My message for you is this: if you so much a lay a finger on her, I will deal with you." 

Odo leaned around the combative newcomer to give an inquisitive look to his companion. She shrugged in response. 

"I'm talking to you," said Toshi punctuating his words by repeatedly stabbing his finger in Odo's chest. "Where I come from, we don't appeal to our women for help." 

"Where I come from," replied Odo taking Toshi's finger between two of his own and squeezing it until Toshi grunted in pain. "We don't poke other people in the chest." He released Toshi and moved to sit at the far side of the fire. "A friend of yours I assume?" he asked her. 

"An admirer," she replied, ignoring the fuming Toshi. "He has brought news. There is talk of a man in the Nishi Prefecture who might be the poDosai." 

Toshi, having recovered partial use of his finger, stomped stiff legged to the fire and shook the still painful appendage at Odo. He sputtered in fury, but no recognizable words were forthcoming. 

"Sit down Toshi," iSamu told him. "Before you embarrass yourself." 

Meeting her gaze, Toshi did as instructed. 

"Toshi," continued iSamu. "Is a pilot for the Medical Corp. There was a fatality not far from where this man was last seen. It is his duty to take the body to a morgue in the Capital. He has offered to fly us there." 

"Fly you there," muttered Toshi his arms crossed defiantly across his chest. He brightened suddenly. "I just remembered, the additional seat has been removed in order to accommodate the body! I can only take one other passenger." There was a note of satisfaction in his voice as he sneered at Odo. 

"Odo does not require a seat in your plane," iSamu said looking pointedly at Odo. "Do you?" 

She knows, Odo thought fighting a momentary sense of panic. "No," he replied, wondering how much she knew. "No, I can meet you there." 

"Good, we will leave as soon as it is light." 

He glanced at iSamu, who sat serenely as usual, her face giving nothing away. He looked back at Toshi, who merely grinned at him.

* * *

"Aya!" shouted Houk. "Where is that boy? Bekko!"

"Doa!" Bekko dropped his pack and bowed to his leader. 

"Go find that silly boy!" 

"Excuse me, Doctor," said Bekko. "It looks as though breakfast will be delayed." 

Accountants, said Julian softly to himself, who would have thought? He went back to packing up his gear only to have his attention drawn away by a shout. Turning, he saw Bekko standing on the slope overlooking the banks of the river. Reading the look on Bekkos face, he grabbed his pack and ran. 

Cresting the slope, Julian could see Bekko pulling the body of Chudan out of the tall rushes. He was at Bekkos side in an instant. 

"Is he…?" asked Bekko, panic written large across his face. 

The boys face and upper torso were a mass of cuts and bruises. Julian quickly scanned him with the tricorder. "No," he said tersely. "But lucky for him you found him when you did." 

"Who could have done this?" 

"Ogon," said Chudan, his voice not much above a hoarse whisper. 

"Easy now," cautioned Julian. "You've taken quite a beating. Best not to talk." 

"Doa," said the boy. "They were hiding here by the river. They wanted to know about you…" 

"Me?" asked Julian. "Lie still." 

"Yes. Who you were...where you came from…" 

"Chudan, please, lie still…" 

The boy looked pleadingly at Bekko and gasped in pain. "Tell…them…I told Ogon nothing…" he managed before passing out.

* * *

The Li wedding had gone off without a hitch and the reception was in full swing. Kira Nerys having congratulated the happy couple made her way through the crowd of well wishers and found a quiet table in the corner.

"Quite a shindig," remarked a voice close at hand. She looked up to find her First Officer hovering over her. "Care to dance?" 

She declined, but offered him a seat. 

"Vivian's going to be sorry she missed this one," said Bryan Landis, leaning back in his chair. "She does love a party." 

"How do you do it?" asked Kira. "Not worry, I mean. It's been over a week without any word." 

"Of course I worry. But, I know my wife," he said with a measure of pride in his voice. "Viv's a match for just about anything." Bryan looked at his commanding officer a bit more closely. "Listen, Colonel, Viv didn't mean anything at dinner the other night. About the wedding, I mean…" 

"I know, Bryan. You aren't the only one who's wondered about Odo and I. I'd wager half the people in this room are asking themselves the same question." Kira lapsed into silence, watching the crowd. Bryan Landis sipped his drink and remained quiet. He recognized a person wrestling with her own demons when he saw one. 

"Can I tell you something?" she asked eventually. "Something I've never told anyone else?." 

"I'd rather you didn't," he replied with a slight smile on his face. "It's been my experience when a person opens a conversation with a sentence like that they usually wind up having to kill the unlucky recipient of the confession." 

"Don't worry, I'll make it quick and painless." Bryan was pleased to see the shadow of a smile light her face. "It's not that type of confession." 

"Well, okay then." 

"In all honesty," said Kira becoming very serious. "It never occurred to me that I would survive the Occupation, I almost didn't. So, I never gave much thought to what I would do after it was all over. I never knew any other type of life, didn't know how to live any other type of life. The other people in my cell would spend hours talking about what they would do. Some would go back to farming; others talked of settling down and starting a family. Me? I couldn't see beyond what it would be like to have a hot bath, a full belly, and a clean bed. All of this," she waived her hand indicating the swirl of activity around them. "This was something that happened to other people." 

"Until you met someone," prompted Bryan. 

"Until I met Bariel and I began to think that maybe I was wrong. I think you would have liked him Bryan - Bariel was nothing like me. I'm serious," she remarked in response to his sudden outburst of laughter. "He was calm, patient, and so certain about his future. Strange, when you consider he didn't have one." 

"He died?" 

"Shuttle accident. And I thought, well Nerys that was your shot at living a normal life. Be thankful you had that much and just get on with it. Even my short-lived relationship with the First Minister just served to reinforce the belief that love and romance were simply not what the Prophets had in mind when they made me." 

"They're writing songs of love, but not for me," quoted Bryan. 

"Something like that…" 

"Until?" 

"Until I realized how I felt about Odo," she agreed. "You have no idea what a small miracle that is, after all this time, to find someone I feel I have a future with. And what with finding him only to lose him and then against all odds to get him back - it just seems…I don't know…ungracious…for me to ask for anything more." 

"When you say you haven't told this to anyone," remarked Bryan breaking the profound silence that followed her confession. "I assume you mean you haven't said this to Odo either?" 

Kira nodded and stared hard at the contents of her glass. "And I should have."

* * *

Odo and Toshi sat on the tailgate of the flatbed trailer and watched as iSamu spoke to a group of the local residents. They were the shortest adults Odo had ever seen, iSamu towered over them like a giant. No wonder, he thought, they couldn't manage to move the body without assistance. It would take a dozen of the Nishi just to lift the body, but it would have been impossible for them to have lifted it very high. He glanced at the shroud wrapped feet just behind him. The body had been kept in cold storage as the local hospital had no facilities for such a large corpse and Odo wondered idly if it still retained a smell.

"A dentist," remarked Toshi following Odo's gaze. "Heart attack apparently." Having flown the entire way disguised as a bird, Odo had landed to find a much more subdued pilot waiting for him. Apparently iSamu had given him quite a talking to during the flight. 

"What do you do?" he asked Odo. 

"I was a security officer," replied Odo. "But I'm not so sure anymore." 

"I know what you mean," said Toshi with a nod of his head. "I was a firefighter. Now I fly a plane." 

They watched iSamu as she left the group and approached the trailer. "She is lovely isn't she?" whispered Toshi. Odo remained silent unsure if a word of agreement from him would set the volatile young man off on another jealous tangent. But Toshi was so entranced with iSamu that he never noticed Odo's lack of reply. 

"We must load the body and be on our way," said iSamu moving to take the seat next to the driver. "The man we seek is a couple days ahead of us on the road. We may still catch up with him if we hurry." Before Toshi could protest, the driver put the vehicle in gear and took off for the makeshift landing strip. 

Toshi gave Odo a disgruntled look before sighing and resting his chin in his hand. "Are you married?" he asked Odo. 

"No." 

"Are you in love then?" 

"Desperately," confessed Odo. 

"Aya," replied Toshi. "Then we have much in common. So, is she like iSamu?" 

"Only in that both are supremely confident in their own abilities." 

"She is that," agreed Toshi. "Will she also not agree to marry you?" 

Odo considered the question for a moment. Although he could still not remember if he and Kira had discussed marriage, he was absolutely sure of one thing, he would not have been the one to ask her in the first place. "You have to understand," he replied. "I never in my life expected to fall in love. Love was something that happened to other people, but not me." 

"Until you met her?" 

"Yes. Kira." 

"kiRa. A nice name." 

"It is," agreed Odo. "I was head over heels in love with her for years, but she thought of me as just a friend." 

"Aya! It is the same with iSamu," lamented Toshi. "And what happened? Does this kiRa still think of you as such?" 

"I should hope so," replied Odo. "Although the miracle of it all is that she did love me – still loves me." 

"Then why do you not marry?" 

It was a valid question. Odo gave it due consideration. "I spent the majority of my life thinking I was alone and that no one would ever allow me to share my life with them," he said eventually. "Fortunately I was wrong. You have no idea what a miracle it is that she loved me. Then I…I had to leave her indefinitely and not under the best of circumstances. I thought she would go on with her life, find someone else, someone she could have a future with, start a family..." 

"Did she?" asked Toshi. 

"No. Years later, when I found her again, well, actually she found me; I was truly amazed that she still felt the same way about me. That she wanted to spend her life with me, how after all that had transpired, she still wanted me back." He found speaking difficult he was so choked with emotion. "I guess I never asked because having found her, only to lose her and then find her again…it…I…I just guess it simply never occurred to me to ask for more." 

"And have you told her so?" 

"I don't think so," Odo confessed. "And I should have." 

Unnoticed by both men, the stone on Odo's chest began to glow.

* * *

From their hiding place on the banks of the river they watched as the group departed. It was obvious, to those who watched that the little band was a few members short, but from this distance the dark headed man in the blue and black uniform was clearly visible.

"Do you think this will work?" asked Bekko. 

"If we stay low and only travel at night," replied Chaho. "Budans black paint will only fool them at a distance, if Ogon gets very close, the deception will be discovered." 

The two men smiled at the memory of painting black hair on the smooth skin of their companion. A Minami with hair! It would have been hilarious under other circumstances. They sobered at the approach of Julian. 

"Right," he said keeping low in the rushes. "Chudan is still unconscious. How long did you say it would take us to reach a caravan?" 

"Traveling by night," replied Chaho. "Carrying Chudan will slow us down, but we should reach the closest one in a day or two. From there we can arrange an emergency medical transport." 

"Aya, Doctor," said Bekko looking at his companion. "In our clothes and with your hair covered you almost look like one of us!" 

Julian scratched at his scalp. The sandy mud they had liberally applied to his hair and face itched like mad. "Let's just hope it is enough to fool Ogons patrol," he replied.

* * *

"Will you stop doing that?" asked Quark giving the reins a tug to get the horse moving again. The horse stood his ground and stamped a hoof. They had been traveling for two days when suddenly the horse became unwilling to continue the journey and no manner of threat or bribe seemed to coax it into taking more than a few steps at a time.

"What?" he asked. "You can't be hungry you ate this morning, remember?" 

The horse lifted its head, his nostrils flaring as he sniffed the breeze. Not liking what he smelled he took a step back. 

"Oh come on!" said Quark. 

"Looks as though the horse is smarter than its owner," said a voice. Quark turned to find a man standing in the middle of the road. The stranger held a small cudgel in his hands, which he beat thoughtfully against the palm of his hand. 

"Oh please," replied Quark. "Do you really think I'm stupid enough not to expect an ambush of some sort?" 

"I don't know are you?" 

"Fine." Quark took step away from the horse. "Go ahead," he urged. "Check the box if you want, but you will find it's empty." 

The man approached the horse, but was too short to even reach the stirrup without help. "So," he said turning back to Quark. "I take it you hid the treasure." 

"Wouldn't you?" asked Quark. 

"I would," agreed the man. "Don't suppose you are going to tell me where?" 

In a flash, Quark brought the dull blade of his sword up, sending the cudgel spinning out of the man's hands and into the dense brush lining the side of the road. "Don't suppose I will," he replied with a jaunty waive of the sword. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have places to go." 

Laughing softly to himself, Quark took up the reigns once more and set off down the road. They only progressed a few meters when a sharp whistle broke the silence and five very large men stepped out of the brush on the left side.

* * *

"Have you seen this?" demanded the Jem'Hadar waiving papers at the Vorta.

Placing his hands beneath the table, sanKe quickly checked to see if the report was still in its hiding place within his sleeve. His heart sank as he realized there was nothing there, someone must have found the report and passed it on to the Jem'Hadar. He carefully placed his hands back on the table and hoped no one would discover he had tried to conceal the report from the others. Fortunately, the Jem'Hadar paid no attention to him at all. 

"Strangers," he declared loudly. "Strangers have been reported all over the Prefectures. And it's a safe bet they are headed directly for the Capital." 

"But how did they escape the Disbursement Field?" sanKe asked quickly feigning surprised outrage. 

"Alien technology," warned the Jem'Hadar. "We must locate them and strike them down before they attack." 

"No." said the Founder. "Let them come." 

"What?" 

"If they can survive disbursement then their technology is strong indeed," replied the Founder. "Let them come. And when they are at our gates, we will destroy them with their own weapons." 

sanKe closed his eyes and whispered a brief prayer. He jumped as the Founder turned his attention on him. 

"You!" declared the Founder. "Vorta! I want your best men on the job. We must have those weapons ready to go before the outsiders arrive!"

* * *

"Looks like your poDosai is in trouble," observed Odo. The driver from the village could only take them part of the way and they had spent the last couple of hours on foot only to catch up with their quarry just as five large men stepped out of the brush.

"If this is your poDosai," he speculated. They could not get a good look at the man supposed to be their quarry due to a large horse blocking their view. 

"We shall soon see," iSamu remarked seating herself on a fallen tree trunk, apparently content to wait and watch. 

"It's five against one," commented Odo. "Aren't you going to help him?" 

"The poDosai requires no assistance." 

"I don't suppose you're going to help," Quark asked the horse as the five men moved into the center of the road. At least, thought Quark, they don't appear to have weapons. I just might have a chance after all. 

The horse merely raised an eyebrow by way of reply. 

"Right then," said Quark drawing his sword. "At least watch my back will you?" 

The horse flapped its lips at Quark and calmly stepped away as though declaring itself a total non-combatant. 

From his place on the side of the road, Odo looked on as the horse moved aside to reveal its owner. 

Odo blinked. 

"This?" he asked iSamu. "This is your poDosai?" 

iSamu remained silent. 

"Okay then," muttered Quark unconsciously tapping the end of his sword on the ground as though tapping home plate. He raised his sword as though raising a baseball bat and prepared to do battle. As the men drew closer, Quark thought he head a familiar voice. 

"Quark," warned the voice. "Just what have you gotten yourself into this time." 

Odo? 

Quark tore his gaze away from the men and glanced at the horse. "Odo?" he asked swinging his gaze back to his attackers. "I knew it was you," he said angrily. "You didn't fool me one bit." He glanced back at the horse, which merely bared its teeth and nodded its head but refused to offer any assistance. Quark glanced back to his attackers and was surprised to see the men had halted their advance. They stared at him with shocked looks on their faces. 

Odo stopped his advance less than two meters behind Quark who seemed to be in earnest conversation with his horse. Sizing up the situation, Odo recognized hired thugs when he saw them. He realized that although he could easily defeat several of the large men, the others would have no problem dispatching Quark while he was otherwise occupied. Right, he thought, this calls for a more subtle approach. 

Keeping his back to iSamu, Odo allowed his face to soften and then reform to what he hoped was the face of a Gorn. Keeping his movements small in order not to distract Quark, he bared his teeth and snapped his jaws at the attackers. 

"That's right," said Quark flourishing his sword at his attackers. "Come on fellas. Who wants a piece of this?" 

Much to his delight, the men slowly backed away, and then broke into a run, crashing into the brush in their flight. 

"Yes!" Quark shouted, throwing his arm up in the air and whooping with joy. "Did you see that?" he demanded of the horse. "Did you see that?" he demanded of the world. He jumped into the air and twisted his body, landing facing the opposite direction. 

"Did you…" 

Odo watched as the men halted in their advance, then slowly backed away, and finally ran. He continued snapping his jaws until he was certain they had left for good. Quark in the meantime, still oblivious to his presence, whooped and jumped for joy. Realizing he would soon be discovered, Odo quickly transformed his face back to his familiar form. 

Unfortunately he was not quick enough. Quark leapt into the air and came face to face with Odo in mid transformation. 

"Did you…" was all Quark managed to say before fainting.


	10. Chapter 9

**The Last Temptation of Odo – Chapter 9 **

By 

Creek Johnson and Nance Hurt

* * *

Disclaimer: We are but fleas on the elephants' posterior that is Paramount.

No infringement on their rights is intended. We hope none is taken.

* * *

From his hiding place in the trees, Ogon watched as the small band settled down for the night in a small clearing. What fools, he thought. Rather than take to the open grass of the plains, they had chosen to travel through the forest leaving them open for an ambush. He smiled. An ambush he was more than happy to provide.

He whistled sharply and motioned for his men to prepare to depart. Unbeknownst to him, not far away, a group of three men carrying a fourth slipped silently through the tall grass of the plains, their baldheads gleaming softly in the moonlight. 

In a tree on the edge of the plains, a large black bird sat and watched. With a cry that broke the stillness of the night, it spread its wings and took to the air.

* * *

It had been another frustrating night. Odo sat at the base of the tree and contemplated his companions asleep by the small fire. How fragile they looked to him. How unguarded they were as they slept. How vulnerable. He sighed. How many nights had he watched Nerys as she slept and thought the same thing? 

Nerys. 

He attempted to shut out all thought of her as a wave of loneliness washed over him. His fingers curved around the stone on his chest. Think of something else, he reminded himself. 

Think. 

He closed his eyes and concentrated on when he first understood his place in the universe. His thoughts strayed to a time when he understood just how fragile humanoids were. In his mind he was standing on the upper level of the promenade. The hustle and bustle of the Station remained unabated despite the presence of Dominion troops. How he had seen the humanoids there with a new appreciation of how small, how incredibly fragile they were. Insignificant. That was the word used by the Founder. 

Insignificant. 

And at that moment he truly understood the role of the Dominion. The enormity of what it was to not be solid, to not be bound by thought or form. How truly limited and petty creatures others were. How far removed they were from anything of importance to him. How absolutely separate they were from his existence. How for the first time in his life he and they touched on no surface. How sorry he had felt for them. 

They need our guidance, not our pity, the Founder had said. He recalled how in the detachment of linking with her he had agreed. How foolish had he been? How close had his detachment come to destroying all that he truly held dear? 

His thoughts were interrupted as he felt the flare of heat against his palm. He held the stone away from him and looked at it closely. In the soft glow of daybreak, the stone had lost all color.

* * *

In the small hours of the morning, a group of men moved silently through the forest. Nearing the clearing, Ogon signaled for the group to halt. The camp lay just beyond the nearest stand of trees. He could clearly make out the small fire and the group of pallets surrounding it. He grinned to himself and signaled to his men to fan out. They would overcome this lazy group before even the lightest sleeper among them could raise a shout. 

Satisfied his men were in position, he signaled for the attack. With a shout, the Jem'Hadar patrol came pouring out of the trees and into the camp. Ogon leapt into action, his sword coming down hard upon the sleeping form nearest to him. He paused as the blade struck something much harder than a body. He glanced around to find his men standing in the camp as clearly puzzled as he. 

With a growl of displeasure, he prodded the pallet before him. The figure did not move. Flicking away the rough blanket with the tip of his sword, he found not a body but a pile of stones. 

With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Ogon realized they had walked right into a trap. 

Before he could shout a warning, the silence of the camp was broken by a war cry and out of the trees swung a group of men. In the blink of an eye, Ogon and his men were surrounded.

* * *

As the pale light of dawn broke over the valley, Julian and his companions settled down under cover of a small stand of trees. His patient was improving, but would still require surgery before he could entirely recover. 

"Will Chudan recover?" asked Chaho handing Julian a bowl of rice. 

"I believe so," he replied thinking even field rations would be a welcome change of pace. 

"Chudan is the sole support of his family," said Bekko. "His father died last year. It has been hard on them." 

"And now this," agreed Chaho. "Ogon has much to answer for." 

"Forgive me for asking," ventured Julian. "But what exactly is your quarrel with Ogon?" 

The two men exchanged a look and ate in silence for a moment. "Ogon," said Bekko. "Was the Senior Auditor for our District. It is a high honor to be so chosen." 

"And what does the Senior Auditor do?" 

"Each accountant is required by law to undergo an audit at least once a year," said Chaho. "It is done to ensure that no mistakes go unaccounted. Mistakes made unintentionally or intentionally." 

"So he keeps you honest?" 

"Yes," said Bekko. "The most honest of us all. At least in theory…" 

"But in practice?" 

"In practice," replied Chudan. "He was weak. He allowed his exalted position to swell his head. He indulged his every vice to the point where he was deeply in debt." 

"So what did he do?" asked Julian. "Embezzle money?" 

"Yes," said Bekko. "Which would have been dishonor enough, but he then fixed each audit so it would appear the missing money was the fault of those he audited." 

"But surely his superiors would have figured it out…" 

"They did," agreed Chudan. "Eventually, but not before our licenses were suspended for the duration of the investigation. It is a great dishonor." 

"By the time we were exonerated," replied Bekko. "Ogon had disappeared, leaving his family behind to bear the shame and the financial burden for his crimes." 

"I see," said Julian. "Rest assured, it has been my experience that people like Ogon get what's coming to them eventually." 

"Are you sure, doctor?" asked Bekko. "I would like to think that is so."

* * *

Vivian Landis shook her head in dismay. Okay, she thought, just relax and pretend you are talking to one of your children. She cleared her throat and spoke slowly. 

"The tactical station is located at the aft port panel. Aft. Port." 

"I do not understand," replied sanKe. "What is aft? What is pork?" 

"Okay. Let's go over this one more time. From the rear of the cabin, you are facing the view screen, yes?" 

"Yes," agreed sanKe. 

"On your left there is a row of panels. That's port." 

"Yes. Okay. Pork." 

"Whatever," sighed Vivian. Much more of this and she was convinced her head would explode. "Right then. Now turn to face the panels on your left." 

"If I go right, how will I face the panels on the left?" asked sanKe. 

"Just turn left!" 

"Yes. Sorry. I am now facing pork." 

"Ri…" she caught herself. "Okay. Now the tactical panel should be the last panel on the left." 

"I am standing in front a panel and there is no other panel on the left." 

Vivian sighed and lay back into the tall grass of the field, twin full moons lit the night sky. "Okay," she said rubbing her forehead. "Just tell me what does the panel say?" 

"Is the panel supposed to speak?" asked sanKe in a small voice. 

It was all Vivian could do to not laugh hysterically. "Look," she said eventually. "This is not working. I can't tell you how to disable the weapons if you can't tell me if they are working in the first place." And I'll be damned if I tell you where to find the schematics, she added silently to herself. "You'll just have to make do as it is." 

"No!" Sanke's voice rang sharply over the comm. line. "You do not understand." His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "The Founder is aware of your existence. He means to activate the weapons by any means possible. You cannot allow this to happen. It…it would be very bad. Please. Just tell me what to do." 

"I can't," insisted Vivian sitting up suddenly. "I cannot do this from here. The fastest way for me to get where you are is to transport and we've all ready tried that. The transporters are off line as well. You'll just have to wait until I reach the Capital." 

"We may not have time," pleaded sanKe. 

That's what I'm afraid of, thought Vivian.

* * *

In the stand of trees the two teams of combatants faced off, each prepared for battle. 

"Stand down your weapons," commanded Houk, addressing the men of the Jem'Hadar patrol. "We have no quarrel with you. Do not dishonor your families by taking sides with a coward and a cheat." 

"Hold your ground," ordered Ogon. "These old women have no stomach for a fight which is why they seek to make us forfeit." 

"Old women?" Houk spat. "What then do you call those who beat a boy senseless and leave him to die?" Looking at the patrol, Houk was pleased to see several of the men murmur softly among themselves while others hung their heads. 

"Soldiers," sneered Ogon. "We are loyal soldiers of the Jem'Hadar and we do what is necessary. But what would you know of that? You who are nothing more than children playing at being something you are not." 

"Just as you play at being an honorable man…" 

"Lies," warned Ogon. 

"Just as you played at being an honest man…" 

"Hold your tongue!" 

"Just as you played at being a loyal husband…" 

"I will make you pay for that!" 

"How?" asked Houk. "How will you make us pay? By running off and leaving your family to bear your shame?" 

With a growl Ogon lowered his sword and with his free hand delivered a punch to Houk's jaw, sending the small man crashing to the ground. 

"Lies!" He shouted. "Now stand up and fight." 

Houk propped himself up on one elbow, and wiped the blood from his mouth. "No," he said shaking his head. "I will not fight you. What honor would there be in that?" 

"Crawl away then," sneered Ogon. "Crawl away like the dogs that you are, but you will leave the stranger with us." 

"He wants the doctor," said Houk regaining his feet. "What say you men? Shall we give him the doctor?" 

With grins on their faces, several of the bandits shouted and from a neighboring tree a lone figure jumped to the ground. In the pale light of dawn it was clear to all that the man they had assumed was the doctor was nothing more than a deception. Ogon's anger reached a boiling point as he realized he had been deceived again. Houk took one look at Ogon and nodded his head. 

"Bandits!" he called turning his back on Ogon and the patrol. "The sun is rising, let us be on our way!" 

"Don't just stand there," Ogon shouted to his men. "Do you duty!" 

Houk and his group stopped in their tracks, none turned around, but each man braced for an attack. The members of the patrol glanced at each other and then their leader. One by one, each tossed their swords to the ground. Hearing the sound of wood hitting the ground and stifling a smile, Houk nodded to his men to continue on their way. 

Ogon, standing in the middle of the camp, trembled with rage. With a shout, he raised his sword and launched himself at Houk, who was quick to parry a blow aimed directly at his head. Fueled with rage, Ogon drove Houk backwards through the camp, each blow deflected by Houk's sword. 

Houk remained on the defensive checking each blow allowing Ogon's rage to dissipate until, with a sob, Ogon fell to his knees. "Why do you not fight?" he demanded. 

Houk lowered his sword and looked at the beaten man with something akin to pity. "I promised your wife I would not," he replied. "But for that promise, I would have gladly killed you." 

"My wife," said Ogon nodding his head. "Of course." In the blink of an eye, he swung his sword round to deliver a blow to the back of Houk's knees, sending him to the ground. Leaping to his feet, Ogon stood over Houk, his sword point pressed into his chest. "You always did have a soft spot for my wife." 

A hush fell over the forest as though the world was waiting to see what would transpire next. Ogon remained standing over Houk his chest heaving as he struggled to regain his breath. Houk laid prone on the ground, ignoring the pain in his legs, his eyes never leaving Ogon's face. As Houk waited he watched as hatred flashed across Ogon's face, then confusion, and after what seemed an eternity, the muscles in his face set into an expression of grim determination. 

In an instant, Ogon raised the sword high above his head. At the same moment Houk rolled his body forward and onto his knees, his sword ends grasped in both hands, the length of the blade held above him to block the blow. As the one blade came crashing down upon the other there was a popping noise loud enough to startle birds out of the trees. Both bandit and Jem'Hadar guards watched opened mouthed as the blade of Ogon's sword snapped in two, the free end of the blade spinning away to land in the dust. 

For a breathless moment the two men remained where they were. Ogon, still clutching the hilt of his sword; Houk on his knees his arms raised above him. Ogon was the first to stir, looking in disbelief at the remains of his sword; he opened his mouth once or twice as though to speak before throwing the hilt at Houk and staggering off into the forest. 

Houk remained on his knees, allowing his arms to fall. In an instant his men were surrounding him. 

"Doa!" said Budan his voice barely above a whisper. "That was…incredible." 

"Yes," agreed several of the men. "Thanks to you no one will dare question our honor this year in the Capital." 

"We have regained our honor," agreed Houk. "But I am afraid I will not be the one to represent you in the Capital." 

"Why?" 

Houk with the help of his men struggled to his feet, it was clear to all who saw that his right arm hung useless at this side. 

"Aya!" cried Budan. "Would that I were a doctor." 

"If I may," said a voice. The men stepped aside to reveal one of the Jem'Hadar patrol standing nearby. "One of our men is a medic of sorts. Allow us the honor of doing what little we can." 

Feeling more than a little weak, Houk nodded his consent. A second of the patrol stepped forward and presented the two halves of Ogon's sword. "Perhaps," he said. "We may use this as a splint?" 

"Thank you," was all Houk managed to say before his knees gave way.

* * *

"What I don't understand," said Quark addressing the horse. "Is how he ends up with the girl and I end up with wolves and a giant in a diaper. Can you explain that to me?" 

Odo rolled his eyes; the horse just nodded its head. 

"Where is the girl anyway?" asked Quark. They had been on the road for hours, iSamu having left them at dawn. 

"Her name is iSamu," replied Odo wearily. "And she is ahead of us making sure no one else tries to ambush you. What I don't understand is how you've only been on this planet for a week and you all ready have people who want to kill you. Perhaps your friend can explain that to me?" 

The horse nodded its head again. 

"Perhaps," said Quark loftily. "It has to do with my being the poDosai." 

"You are not the poDosai." 

"And how would you know that?" 

"Because, Quark, I know you. The poDosai is supposed to be a hero who liberates the people and asks for nothing in return. That hardly sounds like you." 

"Well that just goes to show that you don't know me at all. I'll have you know that you are not the only one who can be heroic. And before you can ask, no, there's nothing in it for me." Except the thanks of a very grateful populace, he thought to himself. Every wish granted, Ty-ni had said. 

"I am not a hero," replied Odo softly. 

"Yeah? Since when? And since when did you start wearing jewelry?" asked Quark, eyeing the stone around Odo's neck. 

"It's not jewelry." 

Quark reached in his pocket to produce a jeweler's loop and holding the stone up, appraised it carefully. "Nice stone," he remarked dismissively. "Worth a couple of strips of latinum at least." 

"It's not for sale," replied Odo plucking the stone from Quark's hand. 

"Everything's for sale." 

"This isn't." 

"Why?" asked Quark with a new measure of interest in his voice. "What's so special about it?" 

"It's supposed to be my soul." 

"Your soul!" laughed Quark. "You don't have a soul." 

"That is exactly what I have been trying to explain to iSamu," grumbled Odo. "She won't listen to me." 

"So, what's the situation with her anyway?" asked Quark. "Does she know what you really are?" 

"She may," replied Odo noncommittally. "She's only really interested in finding the poDosai." 

"Why is she helping you then if you aren't the poDosai?" 

"She is merely assisting me to reach the Capital." 

"The Capital," said Quark with a nod of his head. "And what then, Odo?" 

"What do you mean what then?" 

"I mean, what are you going to do?" Quark looked at Odo and there was a measure of accusation in his voice. "You really don't expect me to believe you are going to just simply find a way for us to get out of here. I know you, you are going to try and find some way to confront the Founder, if there is a Founder. And then what?" 

"Trust me, Quark," said Odo. "I'll make sure you and the others get home safely." 

Both Quark and the horse snorted. 

"What's the matter Quark?" asked Odo, ignoring the horse. "Don't you trust me?" 

Quark gave the horse a pat on the muzzle. "Do I trust him? No." declared Quark flatly. "When it comes to you and your people, no, I don't trust you." 

"Look," Quark continued having read the look of pained dismay written large on Odos face. "I've never in my life met a being who thrives on rejection the way you do. They've tossed you out twice. Tried to kill you once. What in Profits name do you think will happen this time? What could you possibly want from them now?" 

"Answers," replied Odo softly. 

"Answers?" Quark barked with laughter. "He wants answers! Who doesn't want answers? Let me ask you this - who ever gets them? What makes you think you are so special that you get answers? What if there are no answers? What are you going to do if the answer is no? What if the answer is just because that's the way it is? Is it really worth dying over?" 

"I don't know," replied Odo. 

They walked in silence for some time. 

"Let me ask you this," said Odo eventually. "Is this how I am going to spend the rest of my life? Having to take advice from you?" 

"If you're lucky," replied Quark. 

Odo and the horse exchanged a look. Odo rolled his eyes while the horse snorted. "My thoughts exactly," he said patting the horse on its muzzle. 


	11. Chapter 10

**The Last Temptation of Odo – Chapter 10 **

By 

Creek Johnson and Nance Hurt

* * *

Disclaimer: We are but fleas on the elephants' posterior that is Paramount.

No infringement on their rights is intended. We hope none is taken.

* * *

"Is the meal not to your liking?" asked Jubei.

Vivian looked up at the sound of her companions voice and realized the bowl of noodles lay quickly cooling in her hands. "No," she replied somewhat shamefaced. "It's fine. I was just thinking." 

"You worry about your companions." 

"Yes." Vivian contemplated her meal. She had not mentioned her somewhat puzzling conversations with the man who claimed to work for the Vorta. If Jubei had suspected something was up, she had not voiced her suspicions, leaving Vivian to wonder just how much she should say about her situation. Vivian had spent the better part of the day wondering if it were not time to test the waters a bit. 

Now was as good a time as any, she thought. "Does the name Sanke mean anything to you?" she asked. 

"Sanke?" Jubei thought for a moment. "No. It is not a Higoshi name." 

"No not Higoshi," agreed Asahi from his place on the other side of the campfire. "But I do know of a man named sanKe, but he is most likely dead now." 

"Yes," said Jubei nodding. "sanKe, I do remember." 

"Dead?" asked Vivian. "What happened to him?" 

"sanKe," replied Asahi. "Was one of the ruling Counsel right before the Dominion came. He was from the Minami to the South." 

"The Dominion," added Jubei. "Expelled the ruling Counsel when they took over the government. Many of the Counsel remained to perform some administrative functions." 

"Until the Madness descended upon us." There was something about the hushed manner in Asahi's voice that made Vivian's blood run cold. 

"The Madness?" she asked. 

"A period of civil war among our Dominion rulers," said Jubei. "We in the East knew little of what was going on at the time. I doubt anyone knows the truth of what transpired…" 

"Bloodshed," interrupted Asahi. "It is said that the Jem'Hadar troops developed a illness of the blood that caused them to turn upon their masters. But the blood lust did not end there, some say, the Madness caused them to then turned upon themselves. That in one frightful night the Jem'Hadar troops slew each other in a great orgy of death." 

"Orgy of death," scoffed Jubei. "Stories to frighten children." 

"Others believe," continued Asahi. "The Dominion ordered the remaining members of the Counsel to be executed and then ordered the executioners to take their own life. No matter what actually transpired, all that is know is that from that night on no one has seen or heard from the Ruling Counsel since." 

"All that is known for certain," said Jubei. "Is that all known members of the Counsel disappeared without a trace, as did many of the Jem'Hadar troops. For all we know they were transported somewhere with the Jem'Hadar troops as their guards. However, the fact remains, the Founder, the Vorta, and the Jem'Hadar still live and their rule is absolute." 

"Ah," said Asahi. "But no one has ever seen the Founder in person." 

"I have never seen the wind," replied Jubei. "But I know it exists." 

"Doa!" shouted a young man approaching the campfire. "Come quickly." 

"What is it?" asked Asahi. 

"Four strangers are approaching," the young man replied. "One of them is wounded." 

Vivian followed the group to the road. On the far side she could just make out a small group of men walking in the tall grass. At Asahi's orders, lanterns were brought forth and in the pale light she could see they were not of the same race as the Higoshi. Two of the men were short and rather than the long necks and v shaped heads of her companions, the strangers appeared to have no necks and their heads were as bald and as white as stones. 

"Who are you?" shouted Asahi. "And do you require assistance?" 

"We are travelers from Minami!" replied one of the men. "One of our companions is badly hurt and will require medical transport." 

"Jubei," said Asahi turning to her. "Can you make the call?" 

"I will do so now." 

"You there," ordered Asahi indicating several of the young men in his group. "Take the stretcher and carry the wounded one to my camp." 

"Come!" he shouted to the Minami. "There is food and water for you all. Do you require a doctor?" 

The stretcher was hauled up the steep bank of the road by eager hands. Vivian watched as the Higoshi carried the stretcher away. She was about to follow when a voice carried over the din. 

"Thank you," said a voice with a distinct British accent. "But I am a doctor." 

Vivian turned back and watched as two men were hauled up the steep bank. She scanned their faces finding nothing she recognized. A third man appeared taller than his companions and decidedly not of the same race, although his face and head were plastered with a thick white mud. She smiled. 

"Hello Julian," she said. "Fancy meeting you here."

* * *

"So everything checks out?" Kira Nerys looked at the Security report and back to Ovin Bog.

"Mr. Marshall was very thorough…" 

"Of course he was." Kira tapped the edge of the padd against her hand. "You've met this Mr. Pilgrim," she said eventually. "What's he like?" 

"Ah," replied Ovin. "Average for a Terran." 

"A Terran?" 

"Ah, yes. Average build, average coloring, and average height. The only thing that would distinguish him in ah, a crowd would be that he always wears black; black suit, black shirt with an, ah, high color, black shoes…" 

"I get the picture," replied Kira. "Well I'm not about to give the Centurion Corporation a lease until I meet the average Mr. Pilgrim. Set up a meeting." 

"Ah," replied Ovin. "Mr. Pilgrim is no longer on the Station. But his, ah, associate just, ah, arrived." 

"And who would that be?" 

"A, ah, Mr. Shadow." 

"And what of him?" 

"He's, ah, average…" 

"Fine," sighed Kira. "I get the picture. Just set the meeting." 

"Actually," remarked Ovin. "Ah, according to Mr. Shadow the two of you have, or had rather, ah, a mutual friend." 

"And who would that be?" 

"The late, ah, Captain Fellows." 

It couldn't be, thought Kira. Well, this will certainly be interesting.

* * *

"We need to talk," said Vivian. She sat on the banks of the small creek as Julian washed the mud from his face and hair. "There are things going on here that just aren't right."

"You mean like there being only one Jem'Hadar?" asked Julian. 

"Yes. From what I can gather from what my 'friend' tells me the idea was we were to be disintegrated when we stepped through that field but he changed the setting to simply transport us away from the runabout. Why? I'm not certain. But I do know the runabout was recovered afterwards." 

"So this sanKe fellow claims to work for the Vorta. What would he have to gain from defying his boss?" 

"I don't know," replied Vivian. "But whatever his motivation, he insists the Founder is aware of our somehow surviving this disbursement field of theirs and plans on using the weapons onboard the runabout to destroy us. Why the Dominion would need our weapons and simply not use their own, I don't know." 

"It almost seems," said Julian drying himself off. "That the Dominion forces left on this planet aren't aware the war is over. It's as though they crash-landed here, which would explain why they don't use their own weapons. Perhaps they don't have any." 

"Or, they are aware and they don't want to be discovered." 

"But why? I mean what would be gained? If there is in fact only one Jem'Hadar, then we can assume there are only one Vorta and one Founder as well. What could they possibly hope to achieve? It's not as though they could do any real damage here alone." 

"Maybe," replied Vivian. "The only thing they wish is to be here, alone. Maybe they don't want to be discovered because they don't want to go back?" 

"Perhaps. But it does not agree with anything we know of the Dominion. It is possible that Jem'Hadar can overcome an addiction to ketrecel-white although I know of only one who ever has. And it may be possible that this one Founder was never exposed to the disease that plagued the Link. I just find it highly unlikely that they both should wind up on this planet." 

"You don't suppose they are just lying low waiting to be rescued do you?" asked Vivian. 

"It's possible," agreed Julian. "Or knowing how advanced the Dominion is when it comes to genetics, they may have been part of some sort of experiment to breed an Alpha Quadrant specific species of the Dominion…" 

Vivians comm. badge chirped to life and she held up her hand to forestall further comment. Holding her finger to her lips as a warning to Julian, she activated the comm. 

"sanKe?" 

"I cannot speak for long," he said, a note of urgency in his voice. "When you arrive in the Capital, proceed to the Castle. The first courtyard will be the marshalling area for pilgrims. Do not enter the interior courtyard for that is where the battle for contracts takes place and anyone without a jutuba will be denied entrance. From the exterior courtyard follow the interior wall to the left. There you will find a small garden. In the far wall of the garden is a small door. Knock upon the door and tell the guard you travel from the Far North and you carry an urgent message for the Vorta. I will come and let you in. Do you understand?" 

"Yes," replied Vivian willing to take a chance. "But sanKe tell me one thing." 

"Yes?" 

"How did you survive the Madness?" 

There was a long pause at the other end of the signal and Vivian was beginning to believe she had made a mess of things. She glanced at Julian who returned her look with a puzzled expression on his face. 

"Now is not the time," sanKe replied eventually. "Just get to the Capital. Hurry!" 

"What exactly was that all about?" asked Julian. 

"Just playing a hunch."

* * *

Quark stabbed the embers of the fire with a stick. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked as his companion rose.

"It will be time for me to regenerate soon," Odo replied his voice weary with tension. 

"You can't run off and leave me here. We have no idea where iSamu is much less when she's going to come back. If she comes back." 

"I'll only be gone for an hour or so. You will be fine." 

"I'm coming with you then." 

"I will not have you gawking over me while I regenerate," declared Odo. "Look," he said relenting a little. "I'll just be over here in the grass. If you need me, just call out." 

"Fine," replied Quark stabbing the fire again. "Leave me here all alone will you?" 

Odo rolled his eyes but wandered off a short distance anyway, allowing his form to melt into the grass. Quark glanced at the horse, which stood seemingly content to munch on the grass opposite the fire. 

"Why don't to go over there and eat," suggested Quark. "If I'm lucky you just might bite Mr. I Have to Regenerate in the a…" The words froze on his lips as he heard something moving in the undergrowth nearby. 

Thinking he might have imagined it, he sat perfectly still. The horse muttered to itself and snapped its head to attention as the sound erupted again, closer this time. 

"Odo…" 

"I heard," he replied stepping out of the darkness. 

"What should we do?" 

"Hello!" called out Odo. 

"Great," muttered Quark. "Something big and possibly dangerous is rattling around in the dark and he invites it to join us. You know, that's one of the differences between you Changelings and the rest of us. We learned a long time ago that if something wants to eat you, you don't invite it to dinner." 

"Shut up, Quark." 

"Good Evening," said a voice quite close to them. Quark leapt up to find iSamu behind him. She dropped a struggling bundle by the fire. "We have a guest." 

The bundle thrashed around and eventually a head emerged out from under the cloth covering it. Quark immediately recognized it as belonging to the small man who had accosted him days earlier. "You!" 

"I should have known," spat the small man. "I should have known you would have hired thugs of your own." 

iSamu sat serenely by the fire and warmed her hands. "I believe the situation requires tea," she said. 

"Have you eaten?" asked Odo, pouring her a cup of tea from the pot left from Quark's meal. 

"Thank you. A meal would be most welcome." 

"Well isn't this nice and civilized?" remarked the man. He crossed his arms and glared defiantly at the group around him. "So, what happens next?" 

"What happens next," said Quark drawing his sword and waiving it threateningly. "Is you are going to tell us who you are and why you wanted to rob me." 

"Why should I tell you anything?" spat the little man. 

"Cause I'll hurt you if you don't." Quark brought the sword up only to have the blade caught by Odo's hand. 

"Give me that," he commanded. "Before you hurt yourself. You," he turned to their captive. "Will answer the question." 

The captive started to object until he caught the look in Odo's eye. "My name is kuJaku," he said with ill grace. 

"And?" prompted Odo. 

"It was not my intention to rob you of the jewels." 

"Ha!" commented Quark. 

"What was your intention then?" asked Odo ignoring the outburst from Quark. 

"I wanted the sword." 

"Why?" 

"I just did." 

"He's lying," said Quark. "If all he wanted was the sword then why did he hire those thugs to attack us?" 

"I do not lie!" replied kuJaku. "I am a man of honor." 

"It's been my experience," said Odo handing iSamu a bowl. "That honorable men do not hire thugs to beat up other people." 

"They aren't thugs," replied kuJaku. "They are miners. They mine the jewels that are used in the jewelry the village manufactures. I only hired them to take the sword. They were not instructed to harm anyone." 

"Why?" asked Odo. "Surely swords are in plentiful supply. What is so important about this one?" 

"It's not the sword," remarked iSamu. "It is what the sword represents." 

"Exactly," agreed kuJaku. "The sword you carry represents the village from which it came. That is why I wanted it. Can I go now?" 

"No." replied Odo and Quark in unison. 

"What is so important about this sword in particular?" asked Odo. 

"I…I come from goshiKi." 

"Goshiki?" scoffed Quark. "What's that?" 

"See!" demanded kuJaku. "Do you not see? He does not even know the name of the village he represents!" 

"So what if I don't?" 

"Quark," warned Odo. 

"There wasn't time. It was all rather rushed…" 

"And you," continued Odo ignoring Quark. "Feel the sword rightly belongs to you?" 

"Yes," admitted kuJaku. "I went to the Elders and asked that I be allowed to represent the village in ritual combat during the Festival. They refused." 

"Why?" 

"It is tradition." 

"The Nishi," remarked iSamu. "Due to their diminutive stature are not schooled in the martial arts. They are primarily tradesmen and craftsmen. This region is known for its jewelers and clockmakers. To the north are villages known for their skills in the manufacture of computer parts and precision medical instruments." 

"It's our hands," said kuJaku. "It is believed these hands are made for delicate, precision work and not the rough world of combat." 

"It is tradition," said iSamu gently. "You are wrong to go against the Elders." 

"Tradition be damned!" declared kuJaku. "We sit in our houses and worry that those stronger than we are will some day take all that we work for. We place our financial future in the hands of hirelings and hope they will be honorable. I say no. How will we ever hope to be respected if we do not stand up on our own? But no one listens." 

"So," said Odo. "Your idea was to take the sword and go represent your people at the Festival?" 

"Yes." 

"Are you any good with a sword?" 

"Not really," kuJaku admitted. "But the point is to try." 

"What are you thinking?" demanded Quark. 

"I'm thinking," replied Odo. "That this might be the poDosai." 

"He might," agreed iSamu. "Only time will tell."

* * *

"What will you do now?" asked Julian. They stood on the edge of the clearing, the small plane standing by as the stretcher containing Chudan was secured for take off.

"We will rejoin the group," replied Bekko. 

"And make Ogon pay," agreed Chaho. "Perhaps we will meet again in the Capital." 

"Yes," said Bekko. "It would be an honor." 

"I would like that," replied Julian. 

"I don't know how to thank you," remarked Vivian. 

"No thanks are necessary," replied Jubei. "I am just happy you have located one of your companions." 

"If there is anything I can do…" 

"Here is your pilot," said Jubei indicating a young man in a blue uniform. "viVian. This is Toshi." 

Toshi stopped as he reached the group. He took a hard look at first Vivian and them Julian. "More strangers?" he asked. "How many of you are there?"

* * *

Kira Nerys powered down her office terminal and sighed. It had been a long day and she was looking forward to a meal and a hot bath. It was times like this that she missed Odo the most. Whispering a quick prayer to the Prophets for his safe return, she left her office.

Glancing around Ops, she noted the night shift at their stations the day shift having gone off duty with the exception of Bryan Landis who stood at the Ops table in conversation with a tall dark skinned man in a Starfleet uniform. At the sound of her office door opening, both men looked up. 

"Colonel," said the man at her approach. 

"I've all ready informed Lieutenant Commander McKinley," remarked Landis cutting his companion off in mid sentence. "That you were off duty and he should schedule an appointment tomorrow." 

"Thank you Mr. Landis," replied Kira. "Mr. McKinley, I'm afraid Mr. Landis is correct. It's been a long day and unless this is an emergency whatever you require can wait until tomorrow." 

"I understand completely," conceded McKinley. "However, I have here Admiral Pendergasts requirements for his office accommodations." He held out a padd. "My instructions…" 

"This really is a matter for Mr. Landis. As Station Liaison…" 

"Forgive me, Colonel, but my instructions as Admiral Pendergasts Liaison are to deliver this padd to you personally upon my arrival. The Admiral was very specific…" 

"I'm sure he was," replied Kira taking the padd from him without giving it a glance and handing it to Landis. "Consider your duty executed and good night." 

Raising one eyebrow, she crossed her arms and waited for McKinley to leave Ops. He stood for a moment as though uncertain what to do before reading the look on her face and deciding a strategic retreat was in order. With a slight bow, he turned and left in the turbolift. 

"Admirals!" said Kira to no one in particular. With a shrug, she bade Landis a good night and took a step toward the lift. 

"Colonel!" 

"Yes, Mr. Landis?" 

"You might want to take a look at this," he said holding the padd out to her. "In particular item number 27." 

"What is it?" Kira scanned the document quickly. For the most part the Admirals requests struck her as pompous but not unreasonable. Then she saw it. It was phrased not as an order, but as a request. 

Item #27: For the safety of the Station and the Security of the Ninth Fleet, it is humbly requested that all Changelings be restricted from residence on the Station, unless requested by the Federation to enjoy temporary residence of a diplomatic nature. 

In the sudden silence of Ops she heard the voice quite clearly. 

"Choose."


	12. Chapter 11

**The Last Temptation of Odo – Chapter 11 **

By 

Creek Johnson and Nance Hurt

* * *

Disclaimer: We are but fleas on the elephants' posterior that is Paramount.

No infringement on their rights is intended. We hope none is taken.

* * *

As with most habitual frowners, Kira Nerys was totally unaware of the expression she wore on her face. Nor was she aware that tables closest to hers in the Replimat remained respectfully empty despite the breakfast rush. Nor did she notice people on the Promenade scurrying out of her way once they took in the determined set of her facial features. Needless to say she did not notice the completely average looking man dressed in black as he hurried to catch up with her only to have the turbolift doors close just seconds before he reached them.

* * *

"How many of us have you met?" shouted Julian over the hum of the engines.

"Just the one," shouted back Toshi. "Not too far from here, in the western region of the Nishi." 

"Who was it?" asked Vivian. "I mean what did he look like and was he in good health?" 

"We got lost on our arrival," explained Julian. 

"I know," replied Toshi. "iSamu explained it to me." Julian and Vivian exchanged glances, Julian shrugged, the name iSamu meant nothing to him. "Anyway," continued their pilot. "He is a tall man with a face not unlike yours, but not like yours either." 

"Odo," said Julian. 

"Yes! That was the name." 

"And was he well when you saw him?" 

"Well enough," replied Toshi. "We talked briefly while we waited to load the body." 

"Body?" asked Vivian, suddenly afraid. 

"Yes. A dentist who had died on his way to the Capital." 

Well, thought Julian relieved, that only left Quark unaccounted for. He looked out the window of the small craft and could just make out a large city on the horizon. From this altitude, he could see the four peninsular continents that made up KuruTame and here, where the four continents joined, lay the Capital. 

He was lost in thought, attempting to pinpoint exactly where the runabout had crash-landed, when he felt a tug on his arm. He turned to find Vivian holding out a publication of some sort. At first glance it appeared to be an advertisement. Stealing a glance to make sure Toshi was busy with the radio; she tapped the page again, drawing Julian's attention to the advertisement. 

"Good lord," he whispered taking the publication from her. On closer inspection, the advertisement revealed a man holding what appeared to be a bottle of some sort of liquid. The man had the ears and hair of a Vorta, but his face was nothing like the face of any Vorta Julian had seen before. Rather, he had the small slit like features of a native of KuruTame. Holding the publication up for Toshi to see, he tapped the pilot on the arm. 

"Toshi!" he shouted. "Who is this?" 

"An endorsement," shouted the pilot, clearly misunderstanding the question. "As long as you will be staying in the Capital during the Festival, I highly recommend you go see the ritual Battle for Contracts. It is an amazing sight to see. And the winner in each division is awarded the endorsement of the Vorta. A high honor!" 

"Yes, but who is this?" 

"At the old Castle!" replied Toshi pointing out the window next to Julian. "The Parade of Supplicants starts tonight in the outer courtyard and in two days time the Battle begins. I promise you will not see anything like it. Now, please, prepare for landing." 

The plane banked and then roared towards the ground with a gut wrenching speed before the wheels finally touched ground with a squeal. An ambulance was waiting for them and it was not until Chudan was loaded and the ambulance was on its way before they had an opportunity to talk again. 

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" asked Vivian once they were alone, Toshi having left them in order to file papers with the flight tower. 

"That depends," replied Julian. "As far as I can tell, either, there has been a Dominion presence on this planet long enough for interspecies breeding, or the Dominion was, in fact, using this planet for some type of genetic research." 

"Okay," said Toshi dusting off his hands as he approached them. "No more flights for tonight. I can give you a lift as far as the road leading up to the Castle if you like. Seeing the pilgrim caravans enter that part of the city is quite a sight and there you can find shelter and food." 

"Thank you," replied Vivian, thinking they would be less conspicuous among the throngs of pilgrims. 

It was a much shorter journey than either expected as Toshi's open-air vehicle swung around the edge of the city and climbed into the hills beyond. He pulled to a stop and pointed to a side road all ready crowded with travelers. "There you are," he announced. "Follow the pilgrims up to the top and cross through the gate. The best place to view the Parade is from the Tower. Perhaps I shall see you there later?" 

"That would be lovely," replied Vivian as she thanked him for his assistance. 

"So," asked Julian as Toshi sped away. "What now?" 

"Follow the pilgrims, I suppose. Then once in follow the interior wall to the left and look for a garden." 

"And if we are walking into a trap?" 

"Hopefully we will at least be able to find out if you are right about those experiments before they kill us." 

"I thought," replied Julian as the crowd swallowed them. "That mothers were supposed to be comforting in times of trouble." 

Neither noticed the harried man in a dirty Jem'Hadar uniform not far ahead of them in the crowd. He paused as he pushed his way through the throng. Ogon turned and surveyed the sea of faces for a moment before continuing on his way.

* * *

"Of course it's a ridiculous request," remarked Brian Landis. "But have you given consideration to the notion that Pendergast only included it as a way of testing you?"

Kira stopped her pacing and resumed her seat. Leaning back in her chair, she gave her First Officer her full consideration. "I never thought," she replied. "That I would live to see the day when I would miss Bill Ross." 

"Well, if you are going to have to cut your teeth on an Admiral, Ross is as good as any." 

Kira laughed. "At least," she conceded. "Ross was a reasonable man – despite his orders." 

"So, what do we do now?" 

"I spent last night," confessed Kira. "Pouring over every rule and regulation – Starfleet, Federation and Bajoran – that I could find regarding the status of rights extended to citizens belonging to former adversaries and as far as I can tell, there is no legal basis for Pendergast's request to ban all Changelings from the Station." 

"However, the request has been made." 

"Which means we cannot ignore it," agreed Kira. She swung her chair away from Landis allowing her to stare out the view port, fervently wishing Odo were back on the Station. He, she felt, would know exactly how to deal with the situation. 

"Of course," remarked Landis after Kira's silence stretched on. "You could always try to raise our resident Changeling on sub-space and see what he thinks of all this." 

"Believe me I've thought about it." She swung back to face him. "But, no." 

"Dee McKinley is going to expect an answer…" 

"I know," sighed Kira. "Put it to him this way. If we were to allow the Admiral offices in a part of the Station with limited access and then secured that area with a level nine security measures would that be acceptable?" 

"And if it isn't?" 

"Then we are back to square one," concluded Kira. "What do we know of Pendergast and McKinley anyway?" 

"While you were digging through laws," replied Landis. "I spent last night doing a little fishing and what I found was this. Thomas Pendergast, although a good ship's captain, has had a less than stellar career as an Admiral. Pendergast made his name as an explorer not a warrior. During the War he was a little too cautious for the times." 

"Which may explain why he sees Founder infiltrators now that the war is over." 

"It may that. It is commonly believed that he is being reassigned to the Bajoran Sector to get him out of the way, in case we come to blows with the Romulans over the Benzar issue." 

"Wonderful. And just what does Starfleet plan on doing in case the Dominion decides a war with the Romulans is a perfect opportunity to reestablish a foothold in the Alpha Quadrant?" 

"No idea. But it would explain why the Ninth Fleets presence is being formalized by moving their headquarters here. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the next step is to build another Deep Space Station just beyond Bajoran Space. Wormhole aside, there is still a lot of space beyond your borders that has yet to be explored." 

"I'm glad somebody recognizes that," commented Kira dryly. "All this edge of the Frontier business has always been a little irritating. So, what do we know of McKinley?" 

"D. McKinley. First name unknown, sixteenth generation Starfleet. Ambitious." 

"Ambitious," said Kira. "Then how did he get attached to someone like Pendergast?" 

"No one had any idea how that came to be," replied Landis. "It could have just been the luck of the draw. Could be he's being lined up for a command of his own. No telling." 

"Great. An old maid and a wildcard. Just what we need." 

"Both with powerful friends," warned Landis. "I would recommend we exercise a little tact in dealing with them." 

"Mr. Landis," asked Kira. "When have you known me not to be tactful?"

* * *

The horse whinnied and shook the piece of cloth it held between its teeth.

"Will someone make it stop?" asked Quark and receiving no reply, he grabbed what was left of kuJaku's trousers and threw them on the fire. "When I suggested you bite someone," he said to the horse. "I did not mean for you to eat them." 

"The horse did not eat kuJaku," growled Odo. "Well, it looks as though the only thing missing is the sword." 

"It was all he desired," replied iSamu with her usual unshakable calm. 

"How do you know the horse didn't eat him?" asked Quark eyeing the animal in question suspiciously. "It could be capable of anything." 

"Just tell us what happened," demanded Odo. 

"The little rat hit me on the head and made off into the night with my sword! Some security officer you are…" 

"Before that." 

"We had been talking all day about the Rules of Acquisition," replied Quark taking a seat by the fire. "I had actually come to like the little rat, our people not being that different, both being objects of derision among the other races…" 

"Quark!" 

"Well, it's true. So, I was giving him advice on how he should approach the rest of the world. That fighting was no answer. That he should approach each contract as though it were a battle…" 

"If that's all you talked about," said Odo. "I would have hit you on the head as well." 

"Yeah, well, I'll tell you this, next time I'm going to leave out Rule 52." 

"Never ask when you can take," explained Odo for iSamu's benefit. "What else did you talk about?" 

"Nothing much until just recently. Then when we stopped to make camp and the two of you went off," replied Quark accusingly. "Leaving me here alone with him, he started asking questions about the two of you. Who you were and who you fought for?" 

"And what did you tell him?" 

"I told him iSamu fought for no one and that you…" 

"That I what?" 

"I told him," replied Quark. "That you fought because you thought you had something to prove to your people only you didn't realize the only person in the universe you had to prove anything to was yourself." 

Odo just stared hard at Quark for a moment. "What else?" he asked eventually. 

"Then when I knelt down to start the fire, he knocks me cold with a rock and takes off. What are we sitting here for anyway? We should be off after him, he couldn't have gone far." 

"There is no need," said iSamu. "There is only one place he can go if he truly wishes to fight for his people and that is the Capital. We shall arrive there tomorrow." 

"But," insisted Quark. "How can I get into the arena without a sword?" 

"I've thought of that," replied Odo. "And I have an idea."

* * *

From her table in the Replimat, Kira glanced out at the Promenade to where D. McKinley stood with Ovin Bog surveying the empty storefronts and stabbed at her meal with her fork. She had given thought to leaving her dinner unfinished and tackling McKinley right then and there. There was no way she would allow a section of the Promenade to be sectioned off for the security of a Starfleet suite of offices. There was no way in hell, she thought, that the Promenade would ever be cordoned off again.

Not on her watch. She stabbed at her food again. 

Not in her lifetime. 

She did not notice the completely average man in the dark suit until he sat, unannounced, opposite her. 

"Hello Colonel," he said. "Looks like you have a problem." 

"Do I know you?" she asked through gritted teeth. "Of course not, because if I did, you would know to never interrupt me while I'm eating." 

"You weren't eating," he observed pleasantly. "You were staring over there." He turned to look in the direction she had been staring. "Why if it isn't Lt. Commander D. McKinley and our Mr. Ovin? Looks to me like Tom Pendergast wants a room with a view." 

"Are you going to leave, Mr….?" 

"Shadow." 

"Shadow. This is as polite as I get, Mr. Shadow. I won't ask you to leave again." 

"And you won't have to," he replied. "It's nice to see your table manners haven't changed." 

"Excuse me?" 

"Last time we had dinner together I seem to recall you stabbed me in the hand with a knife. Granted, I had just kidnapped you…" 

"Jack?" Kira leaned forward keeping her voice down. "What the hell are you doing here?" 

"Business," he replied brushing dust off the sleeve of his tunic. "I'm sure Mr. Ovin there told you about the Centurion Corporation…" 

"So you are in this with Pilgrim?" 

"Lock, stock and Link, in a matter of speaking," he replied looking around the Replimat. Although not crowded business was brisk. "Is there somewhere more…private…we can discuss this?"

* * *

"Faster!" cried the Founder causing the Vorta to nearly jump out of his skin. "The Festival is about to begin and we are no nearer to having weapons than before."

"Please," pleaded sanKe. "I have an expert on weaponry on her…their…way. It's only a matter of time." 

"Time little man," replied the Founder. "Is something you have in short supply." 

"Do not worry," replied the Jem'Hadar polishing his sword. "Let them come! If we have to, we will deal with them the old fashioned way." He placed a wine bottle lengthwise on the table and with one sharp blow of the sword cut it cleanly in two.

* * *

"Okay," said Kira leaning on the door of her quarters as it closed behind her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Nice," commented Jack wandering around the living room. "Much nicer than most, although I've never cared much for Cardassian architecture." 

"Get to the point, Jack. I suppose if you are here Gus is somewhere on the Station as well?" 

"Gus mumbled something about a hill…and a house, but don't put too much stock in that, I certainly don't," he replied dismissively as he sat on the sofa and made himself more comfortable. "As you are aware - we are everywhere. Doctors, lawyers, farmers, diplomats, engineers. Some in Starfleet, some in the Federation, even some, I'm ashamed to say in the Orion Syndicate. Each and everyone living their own lives and passing on their knowledge to the rest." 

"And?" 

"And it occurred to some of us that what's the point of having all that knowledge if it's only going to be used for our own protection?" 

"Meaning?" 

"Meaning that we have a business proposition for you." 

"What sort of proposition?" asked Kira making no effort to hide her suspicion. 

"What we propose is this: Are you sure you wont' sit? It would seem less like an inquisition if you would." 

"You talk," she stated in a tone of voice that brooked no argument. "I'll stand." 

"Right. The proposition is this: You lease us all the unused space on the Promenade for our offices and we give you all the information you want. You want to know if the Cardassians start rebuilding their fleet of warships, we can tell you. You want to know if anyone has plans for smuggling technology through the wormhole, we can tell you right down to the serial number on each item. You want to know who's spying for the Dominion, we can tell you. You want to know what color underwear Security Chief Marshall has on today, we can tell you…" 

"I get the idea." 

"I thought you would." 

"And how will I know you aren't selling the same information to others?" 

"Because each and every request will be channeled through our offices here where it will be scrutinized by our Chief Information Officer who will have the absolute final say on whether or not we accept the job." 

"And that would be you?" 

"You flatter me. But, no. We figure the CIO will have to be a man known for his honesty, integrity, and discretion. A man above suspicion, so to speak. While I am clearly all of these things, and handsome to boot, my somewhat checkered past, and a weakness for travel, prevents me from taking the job." 

"So who do you plan on sending? Who's this paragon of virtue?" 

"Oh, we have someone in mind," Jack assured her. "They're just not available at the moment." 


	13. Chapter 12

**The Last Temptation of Odo – Chapter 12 **

By 

Creek Johnson and Nance Hurt

* * *

Disclaimer: We are but fleas on the elephants' posterior that is Paramount.

No infringement on their rights is intended. We hope none is taken.

* * *

The castle gates were thrown wide. Crowds of pilgrims poured through to the marshalling areas in preparation for the Parade of Supplicants that would serve as the official start the Spring Festival.

Ogon ignored the stares of pilgrims as he pushed his way through and, nearly breathless, turned in to the small guard station just inside the portcullis. Finding no one on duty, he once again pushed into the crowd and in the courtyard made his way to a narrow staircase leading up to the tower. In the guardroom at the top of the tower, he found a rather green recruit on duty. 

Ogon's demand to know the location of the recruit's captain nearly caused the young man to choke on his lunch. The sputtering young recruit leapt to his feet a bit of food still clinging to his lip and wordlessly pointed to a door on the opposite wall. With a look of utter contempt for the recruit, Ogon was out the door and onto the walkway above the castle gates in an instant. A group of guards leaned casually against the bulwark watching the throng as they passed below. 

Locating the captain, he took him aside and whispered urgently in his ear. Nodding in understanding, the captain called one of his lieutenants to him, issued orders, and sent the lieutenant on his way back down the tower. Wiping the perspiration from his brow, Ogon turned toward the bulwark and scanned the crowds through narrowed eyes. If he was aware of the large black bird that circled overhead, he gave no sign.

* * *

A tiny voice sounded above the din. "Aya! Look!" Followed by the giggling of little children. Julian glanced up in time to see a small cart pass near them, the faces of half a dozen children peering at them, pointing and laughing.

The crowds had begun to thicken the closer they came to the castle. Here, a little more than a kilometer from the gates, carts lined the road, some set up as makeshift food stalls, some selling supplies, some displaying the wares of craftsmen, each serving to slow down the movement of the crowd. 

"You know," remarked Julian. "I believe we are starting to stand out a bit." His attention was drawn away from the crowd by the cry of a bird. Glancing up, he saw a large black bird perched on the canvas cover of a cart nearby. For a moment, he could have sworn the bird eyed him with interest. "Do you see that?" he asked. 

Receiving no reply, he turned to find Vivian staring toward an area where there was a break in the line of carts, a second line of carts set in adjacent lines formed an alley of sorts, their brightly colored canvases slung between them forming a canopy against the late afternoon sun. 

"Vivian?" 

"Sorry," she replied. "I just thought I saw someone I've seen before." For the last half hour, Vivian had been certain she had caught glimpses of a small, old man, just a few meters ahead of them in the crowd. No matter how slow the crowd moved he remained steadfastly just a few meters ahead of them. 

"Who?" asked Julian scanning the area around them. 

"I don't know. I mean I don't know his name." She looked again and saw the old man turn down the alley. "But I think we should find out." She set off in pursuit, leaving Julian to follow in her wake. 

They had just reached the juncture when Julian spied four Jem'Hadar's guards approaching. Before he could warn her, they were swept down the alley by a group of revelers. 

"Aya," said one of group, throwing his arm around Vivian's shoulders and the other around Julian's. "You're not from around here." His breath was thick with the smell of alcohol. 

"No," replied Julian. "We're…we're from…" 

"Way up North," said Vivian, desperately looking around to see if she could spot the old man. "Way, way up North." 

"Ahhh," replied the man. "What guild do you represent then?" 

"Guild?" asked Vivian. The old man had disappeared. 

"I am a doctor," volunteered Julian, hoping that would be a sufficient answer. 

"You came early then," commented the man. "Take in a little of the sights before the professional guilds arrive?" 

"Something like that. And you?" 

"Guild of the Drunken Supplicants," replied the man slapping them both on the shoulder. "Wine merchants. We do quite a lot of business with the professional guilds. You must come to our cart and sample our stock." 

"That's really quite generous," replied Julian. "But perhaps…" 

"We'd love to," insisted Vivian. She jerked her head in the direction behind them and Julian glanced back in time to see one or two black uniformed men moving through the crowd. 

"Yes," he amended. "Love to." 

"And," continued Vivian. "I would love to know where we could get one of these lovely robes?" 

"This?" asked the man looking down at the garment in question. It was long and white topped off with a hood. There was some type of design in bright colors on the back. "A souvenir," he said dismissively. "We have thousands of them, I would be happy to give you as many as you would like. Advertising, you see." 

"How clever," commented Vivian as they allowed their new friend to lead them away.

* * *

As darkness fell, Odo circled high above the castle, keeping a careful eye on the other large bird he had seen nearby. The last thing he wanted was to get caught in some avian dispute over territory. Satisfied the other bird saw his presence as no threat, he landed on one of the towers in the interior courtyard and surveyed the crowds, confident that the others would stand out.

"Look at them," sounded a voice in his head. "He has bumps on his forehead, she has a wrinkled nose. They are nothing like you and I." 

He shook his head and ruffled his feathers in an attempt to drive out the memory. How Laas would find his present situation amusing. "What could be more flattering," he could hear him say. "You who could be anything choose to be like them." 

So lost in thought was he, he failed to notice the voice over the public address system. Failed to hear the crowd fall into silence as a trumpet fanfare started up. The sudden flash of light startled him and what appeared afterwards nearly caused him to lose his shape.

* * *

"What do we do?" asked Julian as their new friend pushed them into formation with the rest of the Drunken Supplicants. It was dark now and the road leading up to the castle was full of the members of the various tradesman guilds, each group lead by a large paper lantern representing their trade.

"This really is your first Festival isn't it?" asked nuBusu. "What happens now is that there will be a brief speech of welcoming by the Vorta, then the Founder will make his appearance. Once that is done, the Supplicants will enter the courtyard and move in formation from one end to the other – just follow along and you'll do fine." 

"How," asked Julian leaning close and whispering in her ear. "Did we get ourselves into this?" 

"It's the only way I could think of to get us to the garden unnoticed," replied Vivian. "We stick with our friend here until we reach the garden and then peel off from the rest of the group. Look at them. They're so drunk who's going to notice?" 

"Let's hope you are right." 

From inside the castle they could hear the roar of the crowd die down as the sound of trumpets began. Following the call of the instruments there was a great silence. Lights suddenly flashed from inside the courtyard breaking the darkness around them followed by the sound of a great collected exclamation of wonder. The roar of the crowd returned magnified by thousands of voices speaking all at once. 

"Come," urged nuBusu. "We go." 

Vivian kept here eyes on the groups of parade watchers lining the entrance to the castle. If, she thought, the old man was somewhere around, he would surely be here. The group passed through the gates and she found herself stopped by the view before her. 

The inner courtyard was huge, nearly a half-kilometer across and a full kilometer wide. Directly opposite was another gate and just beyond, the castle rose high above them. On the bulwark over the gate was a balcony. In front of the gate was a raised dais upon which resided what Vivian assumed were dignitaries. But what drew here attention hovered over the bulwark. Ten meters high floated the disembodied head of a Founder. 

"Impressive yes?" asked nuBusu giving Vivian and Julian a gentle push. He was obviously delighted by their response. They watched mesmerized as the head moved, the eyes watching the spectacle below. 

"Sorry," replied Vivian, realizing they were holding up the procession. She took Julian by the arm and pulled him along. 

"Good…" stammered Julian his jaw closing with a snap. "Good…" 

"God, I believe is the appropriate word." 

"What do you think it is?" he asked his eyes never leaving the spectacle. "Could it be a hologram?" 

"I think," replied Vivian, pulling the hood of her robe a bit more close to her head. "I think Toto that we aren't in Kansas anymore."

* * *

"What's eating you?" called out Quark. Odo had returned from his nightly surveillance flight looking like hell and not speaking a word. He had stood for a moment staring at the fire before stalking off into the night. "Don't forget about tomorrow!" Quark reminded his retreating back.

"I don't know what you see in him," he remarked to iSamu. 

"I see a man," she replied softly. "So afraid of the tide he fears drowning even while standing at the summit of a mountain. It is his fear that causes him to remain detached from those around him. To isolate himself inside a prison of his own making." 

"Well you wouldn't be far wrong there," replied Quark stoking the fire with a stick. "Not that he's ever been what you could call the life of the party." 

"He is what he is. He can be no more." 

"So," he said changing the subject. "You've known for some time that Odo was a Changeling and yet you said nothing?" 

"In ancient times, long before the Dominion arrived, our people had legends of shape shifters. Often portrayed as tricksters, they were honored. It was thought that if you treated a shape shifter well, they would reward you with good luck. Treating one badly would result in ruination." 

"And you believe that?" 

"What I believe is immaterial," replied iSamu. 

"What I don't get," said Quark. "Is what you are getting out of all this? What's your angle?" 

"I do not understand." 

"I know what Odo thinks he's going to get out of all this. He thinks he's going to find out the truth about what the Founders did to him and why. I know what I want to get out of all this. Riches - maybe enough to retire on. What are you going to get out of this…this poDosai business? Why? What's the pay off? What will you do when you find him?" 

"I seek the poDosai because it is the sacred duty of the zoRi and I am the last of the zoRi. There is nothing more. It is my life's work. I am…" 

"What you are. You can be no more, I know," replied Quark dismissively. "But there's got to be more to it than that. Okay, so let's suppose this year is the year. You find the poDosai. What next?" 

"I will pledge my life and my sword to their service. I will dedicate the rest of my life to carrying out their bidding." 

"A slave?" 

"A loyal servant." 

"Hmmm," replied Quark. "Doesn't seem like much of a life to me. And what if this poDosai isn't worthy of your loyalty?" 

"Then it is my sacred duty to kill them."

* * *

"What?" asked Julian. The procession moved along the right wall of the castle. Several of the groups had bust out into song and the level of noise increased.

"I mean," replied Vivian. "I think I know what's going on here." 

"What? How?" 

"Not now," replied Vivian glancing around her. "Let's see if we can get to the garden first." 

The procession slowly flowed around the perimeter of the courtyard stopping only before the dais as each group broke out in song in honor of the dignitaries. Julian and Vivian waited with baited breath as time came for their group to sing. Try as she might to keep her head down, Vivian found herself stealing a glance upward at the oversized head above them and nearly lost her nerve as she realized the eyes were looking directly at her. Quickly ducking her head, she grabbed Julian by the hand. Minutes passed like hours but there was no alarm. Cautiously glancing back up again, her attention was drawn to the dais. A small man had stepped forward to speak to the group, although the face was the same face as the Vorta they had seen in the advertisement, the voice was immediately recognizable. 

"That was close," breathed Julian as their group took up the procession once again. "Did you see the Jem'Hadar? He was looking straight at us." 

"He wasn't the only one," replied Vivian. "Julian, did you get a good look at the Jem'Hadar? Was there anything wrong about the face?" 

"No," replied Julian. "But then the light was directly behind him, so all I really saw was little more than an outline. Why?" 

"Now's not the time…" 

"I know – wait for the garden. It shouldn't be long now." 

And he was right. It only seemed to take them a short while before they reached the far end of the interior courtyard. There they saw a dark outline in the wall they supposed was the doorway leading to the garden. Julian and Vivian hung back as the group turned to begin the return procession to the gate and as the last of the Drunken Supplicants turned their backs on them, quickly slipped through the opening.

* * *

Ogon was growing tired of waiting. All day long he had been passed from one minor functionary to another and the wait was wearing on his nerves. Night had fallen and from his place in the inner courtyard he could hear the songs of the Supplicants as they honored their Dominion leaders.

Finally, he thought as a captain of the guard approached him. He was led through a door cut into the gate and out into the outer courtyard emerging behind the dais. Instructed to wait, he watched as a second guard emerged and climbed onto the dais. The man spoke briefly to the Vorta who hurriedly turned and without a word descended the stairs. Ogon bowed low to the administrative leader of the Dominion but the Vorta did not notice, quickly passing through the gate. At the sound of voices, Ogon looked up to see the Jem'Hadar approaching. 

He threw himself to the ground in supplication. 

"What's all this then?" asked the Jem'Hadar. "What is of such importance you disturb me?" 

"This," replied the captain. "Is Lieutenant Ogon of the twelfth Minami Regiment. He has come with urgent news of a dishonorable attack upon your guards." 

"The mountain people?" replied the Jem'Hadar thoughtfully. "They can be trouble but hardly disloyal. What did you do to provoke the attack?" 

"Nothing!" insisted Ogon not lifting his head. "My patrol was merely seeking information about a stranger reported to be traveling among members of one of the professional guilds and we were …" 

"A stranger?" demanded the Jem'Hadar. "Describe him to me." 

"He is like the Higoshi and the Hoku, but not Higoshi or Hoku. Tall, thin…" 

"You would know this man if you saw him again?" 

"Doa!" Ogon kept his head down, an evil grin playing across his features. 

"Good. I doubt you would recognize your own mother among all these faces tonight. Give him a bed in the barracks. Tomorrow," he said to Ogon. "You will stay by my side and show me this stranger." 

"I live to serve," replied Ogon.

* * *

sanKe scurried across the inner courtyard. He had not expected Vivian to arrive quite so quickly. Mindful that he not give too much away he quickly pulled off his wig and clawed at the synthetic ears, peeling them away and stuffing them and the wig into the sleeves of his robe.

"Please," he whispered to the winds. "Let this work." 

He reached the door to the garden in record time and dismissed the guard. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he slowly opened the door.

* * *

"I don't understand," complained Julian as they sat in the garden waiting for their escort. The guard on duty at the door opposite showed no surprise when they announced their arrival. "What exactly does an ancient children's story have to do with this place?"

"Well," replied Vivian pushing back her hood and allowing the evening breeze to cool her head. "Everything, or nothing." 

"Meaning?" 

"Meaning. My hunch is that what's going on here is an exercise of power and how to hold on to it. I don't believe there are any cross species breeding experiments or cloning facilities or any other vast Dominion plot to take over the Alpha Quadrant. It's a power thing, plain, pure and simple." 

"In my experience power plays are never plain, pure or simple," replied Julian. "As a matter of fact…" 

His next comment was cut short by sound of the door leading out of the garden creaking open. They watched as a small man peered hesitantly around the doorframe. As the lamplight crossed his features, he looked to Vivian to be of the same race as the round-headed men who had accompanied Julian on his journey. He squinted at them like a mole suddenly caught in the sunlight. 

"You're Minami!" exclaimed Julian. 

The man's head tilted to the right at an alarming angle. "Yes," he replied. "You are Julian are you not?" 

"sanKe?" asked Vivian. 

He peered at the two of them more closely before stepping out of the doorway and into the garden. In the full light of the lanterns she found her gaze being drawn to the left side of his head. Where there should have been nothing more than a fold of flesh for an ear, hung a flap of skin the same shape as the ear of a Vorta. She exchanged a look with Julian. 

"Oz," was all she said.

* * *

In the stillness of the pre-dawn darkness all was quiet. The crowds had disbursed to rest for the night. Inside the castle walls a few silent workers cleaned up in preparation for the days events. Outside, lanterns burned low, and hushed conversations could be heard among the few early risers whose job it was to prepare the mornings meal.

On the far side of the castle, two figures moved through the tall grass that had been allowed to grow among the ruins of long abandoned buildings. One moved silently the other cursed softly under his breath as he stumbled in his hurry to catch up. Eventually they stopped before a wall. The silence was broken by the sound of creaking wood as iSamu pulled open a gate and stepped through into absolute darkness. Quark hovered nervously in the doorway uncertain whether to follow or to run. He heard the spark of a light and in the pale glow of her lantern realized iSamu had led them to an abandoned garden. 

Quark struggled out of the white jacket he wore and tossed it to the ground as iSamu busied herself with lighting the numerous lamps scattered around the garden. The jacket lost shape and reformed itself into a humanoid form. 

"Are you sure this is going to work?" demanded Quark. "You are not only heavy to wear but you are hot too." 

"Well, being worn by you is no picnic either," grumbled the Changeling. "Where are we?" 

"This," replied iSamu. "Is the Garden of Usa the god of the people. No one uses it anymore. We have little time to wait until the contests begin, here we may prepare undisturbed." 

"I don't suppose there's someplace we can eat?" asked Quark. 

"You must fast," cautioned iSamu. "You cannot fight on a full stomach." 

"But I won't be fighting." Quark picked up the nearest pack and began rummaging inside for food. He tossed the contents aside without thought. "I thought the idea was that I wear Odo and he actually does the fighting for me. I'm nothing more than a mannequin." Finding nothing worth consuming, he dropped the pack and picked up another. 

"Quark," warned Odo. 

"Look!" he replied shortly. "You're the one who wants to win this contest so you can confront your father, or brother, or whatever your relationship to other Founders is – not me – you. So, don't Quark me. I'm the one who has to have his head painted so I'll look more like a Minami – whatever that is. I'm the one who has to have his ears pinned back all day under some ridiculous headband. I'm the one who has to wear you. Don't you dare Quark me." 

He snatched up the last pack and stalked out the garden. Odo turned to iSamu with an apologetic shrug. 

"What do we do now?" he asked. 

"We wait," she replied settling herself on one of the benches. "It will be light soon. I suggest you meditate to prepare yourself mentally for the struggle ahead." 

"I think I've had enough of meditation," he grumbled but took a seat on a nearby bench nonetheless. 

"Meditate," he said softly to himself but could not bring himself to close his eyes. He sat and took in his surroundings. From what he could gather in the dark it was similar to the other gardens he had experienced since arriving on KuruTame. Simple in design with a small stone temple at it's center. He could hear water flowing nearby. 

As he watched, the light began to change. Shadows receded as the darkness became thin until the entire area was flooded with a pale wash of light. He sucked in his breath. In the pale sunlight of dawn, he found himself in the most tranquil place he had ever encountered. 

He closed his eyes not wishing to lose the magic of the moment. He had only felt this way once before. Poor Laas, he thought and in his mind he heard the words he had spoken. "You've known many things, been many things, but you have never known love." He felt his heart race at the memory. In his mind he was back on the Station, standing before Kira. "I want to know you," she assured him. "As you really are." 

In the whirl of his memory he was in bed beside her having just made love to her for the first time as a Changeling. How as they both struggled to come to terms with the enormity of what had just transpired between them and the profound emotions that kept them silent, how in that moment he had wanted to be everything in the room at once. Just as at this moment he wished to be everything in the garden. How at that moment he had wanted to be the light where it touched her face; the bed upon which she lay; the sheets that lay tangled around her ankles; the thin layer of perspiration that glistened on her neck; even the air she breathed. 

It was, he admitted to himself with a shock of recognition, the first time he truly understood his place in the Universe. 

iSamu opened her eyes when she heard the sharp intake of his breath and she smiled slightly to herself. Waiting patiently, she saw the stone around his neck start to glow as green as artic ice. As dawn began to break over the garden she watched as he closed his eyes, totally unaware the small stone had erupted in a shower of swirling sparks of light. 

She nodded her head in recognition of his achievement as she slowly rose and took up her sword. Without a sound, she crossed behind him. Without a sound she raised the sword high above her head. In the blink of an eye she brought the blade down across the back of his head, sending him crashing to the ground. 

"You are not the poDosai," she remarked, taking up the discarded jacket Quark had pulled out of the pack and left the garden, closing the gate behind her. 


	14. Chapter 13

**The Last Temptation of Odo – Chapter 13 **

By 

Creek Johnson and Nance Hurt

* * *

Disclaimer: We are but fleas on the elephants' posterior that is Paramount.

No infringement on their rights is intended. We hope none is taken.

* * *

"The Madness," prompted Vivian gently. They had worked through the night trying to bring the runabouts systems back up with little success all the while gently grilling their companion about what was going on.

sanKe sighed and wiped the perspiration from him brow. "You must understand," he said. "We knew nothing of the universe beyond our own world. No concept of the war that raged out in space. We did not know what to make of the ship when it crash landed." 

"So, the Dominion had made no contact with you before?" asked Julian. 

"None," replied sanKe. "When the Federation made contact several years before, we were assured someone would be sent to assist us but no one came. We assumed the Dominion…" 

"Apparently," observed Vivian. "Someone forgot to notify you about the war or seeing as how you had just developed warp technology, the Federation most likely just assumed you would not be of interest to the Dominion." 

"So," prompted Julian. "A Dominion ship crash landed. What happened next?" 

"The Ruling Counsel was not a good form of government," said sanKe. "We found it impossible to put aside our petty regional disputes and fought over everything and as a result nothing was ever accomplished. When the Dominion ship crashed, different factions in the Ruling Counsel thought that by cooperating with the Dominion they alone would be able to harness the vast technology the Dominion offered. Their weapons and ships were vastly superior to anything we knew how to build. So, each faction sought to make a separate alliance with the Dominion." 

"But that wasn't what the Dominion had in mind was it?" asked Julian. 

"No. It was not. Finding no single faction in power, the Founder ordered the Ruling Counsel to be rounded up and taken to their stronghold high in the hills above here. Their ship beyond repair, the Vorta and the Jem'Hadar then began to build the orbiting platform you found on your arrival. They began monitoring space, hoping for rescue, but none came." 

"What happened to the Ruling Counsel?" asked Vivian. "How did you survive?" 

"Dead," replied sanKe. "In order to ensure the cooperation of the populace, the Vorta left a few of us in position to maintain the day to day running of the government while the Dominion set about their business. It actually worked well for a while. Petty restrictions to trade were set aside, the people prospered. That was until, the Madness…" 

"Tell us about the Madness," said Julian gently. 

"As time passed, it became clear the Founder was not well. As he struggled with his illness, the Vorta became more and more distracted and relations between the Vorta and the Jem'Hadar became strained. Then one dark night, the Founder died. The Vorta ordered all the Jem'Hadar to the castle and the gates were locked." 

"You were there that night weren't you?" asked Vivian. 

"Yes. The four remaining members of the Ruling Counsel were ordered here as well. It is a night I shall not forget as long as I live. We were all assembled in the inner courtyard. The Vorta made the announcement that the Founder had died and ordered the Jem'Hadar to destroy themselves as a tribute, a sacrifice, to his memory. They refused. The Vorta ordered them again to make the sacrifice saying that if they would not die with honor, they would die in agony. Again, they refused. He ordered them a third time and the Jem'Hadar replied by killing him there on the spot." 

"And then?" prompted Julian. 

"Then the Jem'Hadar, the one they called the First, took the box that held the drug and held it up for all to see. He declared that they were loyal to the Founders until death and that they would find a way to take the body of the Founder back to his home. The others cheered and called for a distribution of the white. When the First attempted to open the box, it exploded, destroying the contents and killing several of the Jem'Hadar." 

"And you?" asked Vivian. "What did you do?" 

"We hid. Taking advantage of the confusion, we hid in the nether regions of the castle. For days we cowered in the dark, listening to the shouting and fighting while the Jem'Hadar set about slaughtering each other. Then all was quiet and we waited another day before creeping out into the night. There were bodies everywhere and not a single member of the Dominion left alive." 

"An orgy of death," said Vivian softly. 

"Yes," agreed sanKe. "We gathered up the bodies and burned them in the courtyard." 

"What then," asked Julian. "How did you get from there to here?" 

"We soon discovered that the gates to the castle were not merely locked, but protected by a force field. We assumed it was put in place by the Vorta to ensure none of the Jem'Hadar could escape their fate. Which meant that no one on the outside knew of what had transpired. They may have heard, but they could not have seen what happened. Here we were, alive, but left with having to explain why not only the Ruling Counsel was dead and gone, but having to explain our role in cooperating with an alien conqueror as well. It was not a prospect any of us faced with equanimity." 

"So you came up with the idea of taking the place of the Dominion," volunteered Vivian. 

"Yes. During their time on the planet, no one outside the castle had ever seen the Founder; few had seen the Vorta, so we thought it would not be difficult to play those parts. The Jem'Hadar were a presence in the Capital, but that was about all. We made up a story about the troops being sent off and recalled the military to act as the new Jem'Hadar guards. Looking back on it how," he said with a laugh. "I am amazed we managed to make it work. I can only assume the people were so grateful to have a government that did not interfere in their lives that they would have accepted anything." 

"But what happened?" asked Julian. "Why give it up now?" 

"A government based on a lie is no government at all," remarked sanKe. "A government based on a lie is a government that lives in fear. There is too much at stake now, Hiroto, our Jem'Hadar and Kasuka, our Founder, fear losing what power they possess and will do anything to protect it. It is not right. As a boy, I was taught the ways of the god Usa. Usa teaches that if you fear losing something you never truly possessed it in the first place." 

"Usa?" asked Julian. 

"The god of the people," replied Vivian. 

"Yes," continued sanKe giving her a look of gratitude. They were startled by the cry of a large bird. Looking out the hatchway, Julian could see the pale light of dawn breaking over the castle walls. 

"I must leave you now," remarked sanKe. "I have duties to perform but I will be back as soon as I can. Help us," he entreated pausing in the doorway. "It is not as though we harmed anyone with our pretence. But I fear that if we continue we will end badly and harm many in the process. It should end now."

* * *

Across the expanse of the courtyard groups of contestants gathered by profession to start the tournament, iSamu lead Quark to the space designated for toy makers.

"What now?" asked Quark shifting his shoulders under the weight of his jacket. 

"You can stop squirming," remarked iSamu. "For the first round contestants will be called by number. The winners from this round will then move up to the next, and then the next, until each profession has only one contestant." 

"I'm not squirming," protested Quark. "Od…this jacket is just uncomfortable." 

"Pay no attention to your discomfort," cautioned iSamu. "You only need to fight with honor to succeed." 

"Hear that Odo?" muttered Quark addressing his clothing. "How I allow myself to get talked into these things I'll never know."

* * *

The skies to the north were heavy with darkening clouds. The horse gently nudged the gate of the garden open and ambled in. As the wind whipped up, the horse took a good look around; flaring its nostrils; it took in the scent of rain as well as the smell of the various plants.

Shaking its head and uttering a short whinny, it eventually spied the abandoned pack on the ground, ambling closer, recognizing the scent. Muttering softly to itself, it nibbled on the rough fabric, but found nothing to its liking. Eventually detecting another familiar scent nearby, the horse glanced over a stone bench to find a body lying in the dust. 

When snorting and pawing the ground elicited no response, the horse edged closer, nudging the prone figure gently with its muzzle. Then cautiously extending rubbery lips, it began to nibble at the figure, stopping only when a small metal object came lose. 

Rolling the object around on its tongue, it only took an instant for the horse to realize it did not like the taste, before spitting it out and moving on. The horse had long forgotten about the rejected snack and paid no attention when moments later it disappeared in a small swirl of light.

* * *

"Well?" asked Julian. "What do you think?"

"I think," replied Vivian frowning at her tricroder. "That we are dead in the water. Navigation checks out okay, but the propulsion systems are off line. Targeting is fine, but weapons are off line. Communications are okay, but the sensor array is a bit wonky." 

That is not what I mean…" 

"I know what you mean," she said looking at him with a stern look on her face. "And I don't think it's a good idea. What I do think is a good idea is getting the engines back and on line and getting out of here." 

"But they've asked for our help." 

"No, sanKe's asked for our help. We are supposed to be here to offer assistance not over throw a government. I don't need to remind you Starfleet regulations are very specific about…" 

"You're right, of course," Julian conceded. "It's just, I wish there was something we could do." 

"Well, you can try the sensors. See if you can get a lock on either Odo's or Quark's comm. I think I've got the transporter back on line." 

"I can read the signals," remarked Julian after a moment. "But the sensors can't distinguish specific life signs, so I don't know who belongs to which signal." 

"Where are they?" 

"Quite close actually. One signal is coming from the inner courtyard and the other from just outside the walls of the castle." 

"Okay," said Vivian pushing her hair off her forehead. "Inner courtyard is most likely too public. We don't want to expose our cards too soon. Outside the walls will be our best bet. I'm locking on, begin transport." 

They waited breathless as the transport sequence began. There was the familiar swirl of lights and then nothing. 

"What happened?" demanded Julian. "What went wrong?" 

"Nothing," replied Vivian. "The buffer is in alignment. The transport should have worked." 

"It did," remarked Julian going to the pad and picking up the small metal object that lay there. "Let's just hope that whoever this comm. badge belonged to wasn't wearing it at the time."

* * *

"Where are they?" asked Bekko glancing wildly around the assembled contestants.

"Who knows?" replied Chaho. "They could still be on the road, or they could be in jail. There is nothing we can do except represent our profession as best we can." 

"Aya. You are right. It is up to us, eh?" 

"In the meantime," cautioned Chaho. "I will ask around. There are other Minami here, perhaps they have seen our group."

* * *

"Where are they?" demanded the Jem'Hadar. "I know they are here I can smell them."

He smacked the balcony railing with his open palm; the assembled officers and dignitaries paused in their conversations to glance nervously in his direction before quietly resuming their conversations. In the distance, storm clouds assembled on the horizon. In the courtyard below the tournament continued. 

"Most of the betting," said a Lieutenant standing next to Ogon. "Is on the tall Higoshi from Bakyra winning the tournament. But a friend tells me the smart money is being placed on the Minami fighting for the toy makers of SansHoku. Do you know him? They say he was personally trained by iSamu." 

"No," replied Ogon curtly. "I know of no Minami who fights for the Hoku." 

"iSamu?" asked the Jem'Hadar rounding on the Lieutenant. "She is here?" 

"Doa," replied the Lieutenant averting his eyes. "She comes every year." 

"Show me." 

"There," he said surveying the crowd. "She stands there with her pupil." 

"Do you know that man?" asked the Jem'Hadar turning to Ogon. 

"Doa, no," replied Ogon. "I have never seen him before in my life." 

"And you would recognize one of your own," said the Jem'Hadar softly to himself. He smacked the railing again. "Of course! You there!" he said to the Lieutenant. "You know the ship that is housed in the back courtyard?" 

"Doa." 

"Go there and find the Vorta. Tell him to concentrate on having the ship locate its crew. A ship should be able to recognize one of it's own, yes? You, Ogon go with him. In the meantime I will have a little talk with this zoRi and her pupil."

* * *

Kira Nerys placed her hands on either side of the small view screen and leaned toward it, thinking once again how much the man on the other end of the signal reminded her of a particular Cardassian rodent.

"Minister Vole," she said without thinking. 

"Val," he interjected. 

"Val. Sorry. But I don't think you understand the situation. Now, I'm sure Admiral Pendergast is simply ignorant of the facts, but I will not allow him to partition the Promenade. He has no idea what that will mean to the people of Bajor." 

"Do you understand what it means to the people of Bajor, Colonel?" asked Val shortly. They had been arguing for over an hour over the lease of space to accommodate the Admiral's staff. "What do you know of Bajor? When was the last time you lived on Bajor?" 

"Excuse me?" 

"Over ten years. Bajor's changed in the last ten years, Colonel, but apparently you haven't noticed. We've put the past behind us. The days of lamenting over the Occupation are over. I would hate to see you turning into one of those old soldiers who mourn the glory days of the resistance…" 

"Now you just wait one minute…" 

"There's a new wind blowing across our homeland, Colonel. The wind of Commerce and it's up to you to choose where you want it to take you. I will tell you outright that in my opinion, Deep Space Nine's days as a military installation are numbered, Colonel…" 

What?" 

"And if you are smart, you might take the time to start considering your future. Cooperate with us now, make the Promenade a money making proposition, and I think you might find you have a nice job waiting for you back home." 

"Are you insane?" she demanded. "Are you really considering leaving the wormhole open to allow just any force to come barreling though?" 

"Force? What force? The Dominion?" he laughed. "We aren't at war with the Dominion, Colonel. The Cardassian Empire is in ruins. Who are you going to protect us from? We are at peace and according to scripture we will be for the next thousand years. Snap out of it Colonel, you and your precious Station are quickly becoming antiques…" 

She cut the transmission in mid-sentence - a voice sounding quite clearly in the sudden stillness of the room. 

"Choose."

* * *

Odo woke to the sensation of fat greasy raindrops striking his face.

It took him a moment to collect his scattered wits and regain his feet. He looked around him, realizing he was alone. He remembered sitting on the bench. Remembered thinking of Kira…and then nothing. 

Stumbling to the garden gate, he looked out. No sign of either Quark or iSamu. The horse stood in the tall grass nearby, happily eating despite the rain. Looking back at the garden, he saw a single pack tossed aside, its contents half lying in a puddle. 

The contest, he thought with a growing sense of panic. Quark…He had to catch up with them. He was halfway out the garden gate when he realized he had no sword and without a sword he would not be allowed into the inner courtyard. Fine, he thought judging the distance between the garden and the walls of the castle. He would just have to do this his way.

* * *

"How's that?" asked Julian adjusting the linkage on the relay. He glanced out the open hatch the courtyard obscured by driving rain. "It's coming down in buckets."

"Fine," replied Vivian. "Now try realigning the next series of circuits and we may just have propulsion back on line." 

As Julian removed the next panel, he thought he heard footsteps rapidly approaching. He was just about to call out to Vivian when two figures burst through the hatchway. He barely had time to pull the hood of his robe back over his head before the first figure spoke. 

"Excuse me," said the young man. "I have a message for the Vorta. Is he here?" 

"Sorry," replied Julian keeping his head down. "Haven't seen him." 

"And you are?" asked the young man. 

"Repair crew. Specialists, from the North." 

"Ah," replied the young man looking at the exposed circuitry. "Well, if you see the Vorta, tell him the Jem'Hadar requests he concentrate on getting this contraption to search for its crew. Do you understand?" 

"Yes," said Julian. "Thank you." 

"Well I'm glad someone does," remarked the young man with a laugh. "Still, it beats working in the rain." 

"Yes." 

Julian waited until he heard footsteps rapidly retreating. Pulling off his hood, he turned to Vivian. 

"That was close…" 

It wasn't until he turned did he realize he was staring into the mouth of a revolver. The man on the other end of the weapon smiled a slow, evil grin. It was the same man who had attacked the young Minami accountant. 

"You?"

* * *

Gliding to a stop on the tower, Odo shook the rain off his feathers and surveyed the area below. The inner courtyard lay empty except for a few lonely figures that gathered up their equipment and sadly headed for the gates. Light spilled out from the first floor of the castle, where the rest of the contestants had gathered to shield themselves from the rain. Too many people, he judged, to be able to spot anyone from this distance.

Surveying the front of the castle, he saw lights and movement on the next floor up, but the rest of the widows were shuttered and dark. With one exception, high on the top floor one room was brightly lit, the window open to the elements. Taking wing, he flew up and settled on the windowsill. 

A single figure paced the confines of the room. The man was tall and clearly of the same race as iSamu. Odo was just about to hop off the ledge when someone knocked on the door. The man called out and a man in uniform entered and saluted. 

"Doa, Kasuka," he said. "The Jem'Hadar humbly requests you alert the Founder. The Jem'Hadar says to tell the Founder strangers have been located within the castle walls." 

"Thank you," replied Kasuka. "I shall alert the Founder immediately." He turned and disappeared through a doorway only to return a moment later. "Come," he said to the man in uniform. "The Founder wishes me to see these strangers before he decides how to deal with them." 

Damn, thought Odo, as he struggled between the desire to confront the Founder and the need to see that his friends came to no harm. Indecision gripped him, in his mind the struggle raged between loyalty to his friends and a longing to restore some sense of order to his life. Deep in his heart, he knew the two goals could not be mutually exclusive. He hopped impatiently from one claw to the other, before finally entering the room and forming his familiar humanoid appearance. Crossing quickly to the door, he flung it open.

* * *

"How's my head?" asked Quark. They had taken refuge in the corner farthest away from the crush of people.

"You do not lose color," replied iSamu calmly. "And you fought well." 

"Toy makers apparently don't get out much. I was expecting this to be a lot harder." 

"Keep your mind on the contest," warned iSamu. "And do not become over confident." 

"Excellent advise," said a loud voice behind them. They turned to find a Jem'Hadar addressing them. Quark quickly ducked his head. "iSamu," he continued not giving Quark a second glance. "Still looking for the poDosai?" 

"It is my destiny," she replied giving him a slight bow. 

"And is this him?" asked the Jem'Hadar considering Quark for the first time. 

"That has yet to be seen." iSamu smiled softly. 

"Well, let's see you then," commanded the Jem'Hadar. "Look up man!" He placed his hand beneath Quark's chin and raised his face up. They stared at each other for a long moment as realization dawned on each of them. 

"What manner of man are you?" demanded the Jem'Hadar looking at the spot on Quark's face where the paint had come off. He quickly snatched the headband from this head and smiled as Quark's ears were revealed. 

"You're not a Jem'Hadar," replied Quark. In an instant, he had raised his sword just high enough to slip underneath the hose supplying the man with white. With a flick of his wrist the hose came free. No white spewed out. The man did not even flinch. "What the hell are you?" 

"Very, very angry," replied the Jem'Hadar with a growl.


	15. Chapter 14

**The Last Temptation of Odo – Chapter 14 **

By 

Creek Johnson and Nance Hurt

* * *

Disclaimer: We are but fleas on the elephants' posterior that is Paramount.

No infringement on their rights is intended. We hope none is taken.

* * *

The mid-day sky was black with storm clouds. A small group of men huddled from the pelting rain, the frame of the gates providing little shelter. A flash of lightening illuminated the empty inner courtyard and for an instant the warmth of the light spilling out of the doors and windows of the ground floor of the castle was obscured by the cold whiteness of pure natural energy.

"Come," shouted Houk over the thunder. "We are not too late!" 

Pulling their all ready drenched clothing tighter to them, the small band set out at a run across the expanse.

* * *

The entire castle had gone quiet. Quark could feel hundreds of eyes boring into him but he could not tear his eyes away from the face of the man pretending to be a Jem'Hadar. The fact that upon close inspection it was clear he wore some type of prosthetic make up made him more intimidating rather than less. They stood as though locked in an invisible embrace in which time itself ceased to exist. As though in slow motion, Quark's ears detected the crackle of energy just a fraction of a second before a flash of lightening struck too close by for comfort. For an instant the room lost all color, as the Jem'Hadar stood illuminated in stark black and white. The lights flickered. Thunder shook the windows. The spell was broken.

Quark laughed nervously. "Sorry about that," he said taking the end of the hose that should have supplied the man with white and feebly attempted to put it back in place. Finding the hole had suddenly grown too small for his nervous fingers, he simply patted the man on the chest and took a quick step back. 

"Believe me, little man," growled the Jem'Hadar leaning close and speaking softly. "You will be sorry." 

"It's been a lovely party," Quark said hurriedly as he backed into iSamu. "But I…ah…really think it would be a good idea if we were to go." 

"Behold your poDosai!" shouted the Jem'Hadar in a voice that halted Quark in his tracks. For an instant his heart soared, it couldn't be this easy. "Watch him die!" Quark suddenly felt his insides slide down into this boots. 

"He is but a man," whispered iSamu. "Challenge him to combat." 

"Are you crazy?" 

"He is but a man." 

A big man, thought Quark, a really, really big man who wants to kill me. Instinct ordered him to run screaming into the storm, but his racing mind held him in check. He was suddenly keenly aware of a drop of sweat that had rolled from the back of his head to drip down his neck. It clung to his skin briefly before working its way down his back. He shifted his shoulders under the weight of the jacket in an effort to stop the tickling from distracting him. His jacket! A slow smile spread across his face. Of course! Odo.

* * *

On the third floor, Odo stood motionless in the doorway to the small room. He briefly noted the change in atmospheric pressure against his skin as the storm outside raged. The crackle of lightening sent an almost imperceptible sympathetic wave against his substance as the world around him flared suddenly in the stark contrast of black and white.

Swearing under his breath, he fled the room and pounded down the hall in pursuit of the men who had just recently vacated the chamber. 

Thunder rattled the windows. In the small room the dials of hundreds of pieces of equipment flickered for an instant. The banks of monitors showing each major location in and around the castle screamed with static for an instant before resuming their surveillance. Had he lingered a moment longer, Odo would have seen a small cupboard door on the inside wall of the room creak open to reveal a wardrobe, upon which stood a mannequin head, the smooth rubber face of a Founder lay waiting its next use.

* * *

As the thunder echoed around the outside walls of the castle, standing still as his eyes adjusted to the artificial lighting, Julian felt the pressure of a gun being pushed into his back.

"Keep moving," warned Ogon, giving his a push. They had entered the castle though a back entrance. Under other circumstances, Julian would have taken the time to admire the structure and the sumptuous decoration, instead he scanned the area looking for something to use as a weapon. While there were various displays of arms and armor dotted around the hall, none were close enough for either of them to reach without serious risk of either being killed in the process. 

"Straight ahead," ordered Ogon giving him another push. 

Exchanging a quick glance with Vivian, they moved in the direction indicated. The corridor connected with another and then another. 

"How's your sense of direction?" he whispered to Vivian. 

"Magellan, Cortez, Pizaro, LaSalle," she whispered in return. 

"Excuse me?" 

"Right, left, left, right," she answered with a small laugh. "The handedness of my children. Magellan is right handed, Cortez left…" 

"I see," said Julian although he did not completely understand. "You named all your children after explorers?" 

"Why not?" she asked, her voice touched with a note of sadness. "When you have as many as I do, you tend to run out of run of the mill names fairly quickly." 

"Don't worry." He gave her hand a squeeze, realization suddenly dawning on him. "You'll see them again. I promise." 

"No talking!" said Ogon. "And no touching!" 

At the end of the last corridor, they emerged on to a narrow mezzanine overlooking the floor below. Julian could see a large crowd of people gathered. The crowd had been pushed back and two figures prepared to face each other across the small expanse. One figure looked to be a Jem'Hadar, the other…Julian wiped the rain from his face…the other appeared to be…Quark?

* * *

Quark weighed the balance of the sword in his hand and wished his knees did not feel so weak. He could feel the crush of the crowd around him and the area between him and the waiting Jem'Hadar seemed a mile long although in reality it was a mere six meters.

"Focus on the task at hand," warned iSamu. "He is taller than you, use that to your advantage." 

"How?" 

"You will know when the time comes." 

"Hear that Odo," said Quark addressing his jacket. 

"Focus," she reminded him. "The floor is wet in places, watch your footing." 

"Enough!" shouted the Jem'Hadar stepping forward. He assumed the opening stance of ritual battle. Quark stepped forward and taking deep breath prepared for what was to come.

* * *

"What the hell does he think he's doing?" asked Julian clutching the railing. The crowd below watched in silence, only the sound of wood striking wood filling the room below.

"Holding his own," replied Vivian as Quark deftly deflected a well aimed blow. She glanced in the direction of their captor, Ogon was as transfixed by the spectacle below as they were, but the weapon he held was still pushed against Julian's side. She turned her gaze back to the battle below and did not notice sanKe appearing in the corridor beyond.

* * *

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Kusaku as he and the guard emerged from the far corridor and noticed the crowd on the floor below the mezzanine.

"I do not know," replied the man. He glanced across and saw a Jem'Hadar guard and two strangers standing on the opposite side, their attention on the action below. "Perhaps I should ask…" His attention was drawn away by the sound of running footfalls. A man appeared from behind them. He looked more closely, it was not a man, it was the Founder. He quickly bowed his head. 

"Ask what?" demanded Kusaku. He glanced at the guard, and then in the direction the guard was bowing. There, standing not far from them was a Founder. He frowned, his mind racing. The Founder he had impersonated for the last two years was dead; he had seen him die with his own eyes. This must be… 

"Doa," he said cautiously giving a slight bow. "You honor us with your presence."

* * *

Quark winced as the blade of the Jem'Hadar's sword clipped his ear. That had been close, too close.

Before he had a chance to recover the Jem'Hadar had renewed his attack, this time driving the blade in close, trying to force Quark to abandon the field. 

Taking a defensive step back, Quark felt his foot lose traction as he stepped in a small puddle of water, recovering his balance, he brought the tip of his sword up, forcing the blade of the Jem'Hadar's weapon away before it could touch him. The motion caused the Jem'Hadar to over reach, the force of his body throwing him off balance and leaving his chest unprotected. 

iSamu's voice sounded in Quark's memory. "He is taller than you, use this to your advantage." 

As the Jem'Hadar recovered and poised to renew his attack, Quark spared a glance at iSamu. She nodded slightly. A smile crossed his face and he nodded in response. "Opportunity knocks," he said softly to himself. 

Thunder rolled directly overhead.

* * *

"That was close," cried Julian with a sigh. "Too close."

"I said no talking," warned Ogon pushing the barrel of the gun hard against Julian's side. He heard a faint click and braced himself for the shot that was to follow. 

In the eternity that passed while he waited for the bullet to tear through his body, Julian was vaguely aware of the sound of breaking glass and a soft moan followed by a thud. It was a common belief among humans of pre-warp Earth that you never heard the shot that killed you, but he could not believe that at this range he would not have been aware…. 

"Julian," said Vivian, giving him a shake. 

He opened his eyes to see her standing beside him. He followed her gaze to find sanKe standing over the fallen body of Ogon, a broken vase at his feet. A slightly silly grin on his face, sanKe shrugged, the beads hanging from his decorated belt moved softly with the motion making a faint clicking noise.

* * *

Odo looked at the two men bowing before him. The guard, he easily dismissed, it was the other man that drew is attention. The man who Odo had seen enter the empty room in order to get his instructions from the absent Founder, why one of his own would find it necessary to pretend to be otherwise, he had no idea but he was determined to find out.

"You honor us with your presence," said the man. He waited expectantly for Odo to reply. 

"Leave," said Odo, addressing the guard. The guard glanced at Kusaku who held up a hand to stop him. 

"Founder," said the impostor pleadingly. 

"I know who you are," Odo warned him. "And we need to talk." 

"Ah." Kusaku waived the guard away, but as the man turned to leave, he struck him in the small of the back and quickly removed his sword from its scabbard. Pushing the guard to the floor, he rounded on Odo, the sword held in a threatening position. "I knew you would return one day," Kusaku said. "What is it you want of me?" 

"I want to know why," replied Odo clearly startled out of the anger that had been building up inside of him. What manner of changeling was this, he wondered. Why would a Founder fear him? Unless, this Founder assumed he was here to take him back to the Link. If he did not want to return to the Link then perhaps…. 

"Why?" demanded Kusaku, keeping the weapon firmly held in front of him. "You take over the planet, destroy the government, your Jem'Hadar go mad with blood lust, and in the void that your Dominion leaves, you question my choice to stay and peacefully govern in their stead?" 

"That's not what…" said Odo, his anger leaving him as the situation became more peculiar. "It's not my…" 

"What do you want?" demanded Kusaku. "To leave us alone. What will it take? Money? Power? Name your price. I can give you anything you desire." 

"I don't want anything…" 

"I won't go back," screamed Kusaku in panic. "I won't!" 

Thunder rolled directly overhead, as Kusaku raised the sword and launched himself at Odo.

* * *

Quark grunted as he brought his sword up and blocked the blow aimed at his left shoulder. The world seemed to slow down as the Jem'Hadar's arm was flung wide, his weight carrying him off balance. Seeing his opportunity, Quark spun his body away as the Jem'Hadar attempted to right himself, the momentum of his fall pulling him past Quark.

To Quark the world was in silence, the only sound was the sound of his own breathing. He could clearly see the faces in the crowd surrounding him, some reflecting fear, some anger, but most expressing wonder. As he steadied himself, he saw the Jem'Hadar's sword fall away as his opponent landed awkwardly on his knees. 

Taking a step forward, he confidently tossed his sword from his left hand to his right. Preparing for the blow that once delivered would put an end to the match and earn him a fortune in the process; he glanced up at the mezzanine, his mind vaguely taking in the sight of Odo struggling with an armed stranger. Good old Odo, he thought. 

He raised his sword, prepared to deal the winning blow and stopped. 

Odo? 

He looked back up in time to see Odo, who despite being locked in a struggle of his own, was staring straight at him. But how? As Quark's mind struggled to reconcile what he saw with what he had assumed, Odo shouted something and pointed. Quark had just begun to turn in the direction Odo was pointing when he felt his feet fly out from under him and he was sent crashing to the floor, the impact sending his sword skittering away from him into the crowd.

* * *

"What the hell?" asked Julian, their attention drawn away from the fight below by a shrill scream.

"I won't go back," cried a voice fraught with panic. "I won't!" 

"Kusaku!" said sanKe wringing his hands. "He's being attached by a Founder! The Dominion has returned. All is lost." 

"No," replied Vivian. "That's Odo." 

"Odo's not a Founder," Julian assured him. "He's with us." 

"Come on," urged Vivian as Kusaku began to attack Odo. 

They set off at a run around the length of the mezzanine.

* * *

"I do not want to fight you," said Odo angrily as he blocked blow after blow. His opponent had long ago ceased to listen, launching attack after attack, his breath coming in ragged spurts of frustration.

"Stand still so I can kill you," replied Kusaku as though speaking to himself. 

He paused, catching his breath, and Odo thought for a moment he was going to finally listen to reason, when he again raised his sword and launched himself in a renewed attack. Feigning an attack to the left, Odo dodged the blow, only to realize the mistake as the sword caught him on the shoulder sending him up against the railing. Momentarily losing his balance, he struggled to right himself and out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the struggle going on below. Regaining his balance, the figures came into focus and he recognized Quark. 

Feeling a blow across his back, he turned to Kusaku and blocked a second blow. Grabbing his opponent by the sword arm he jerked him forward into the railing and looking over saw Quark turn to stare, his sword raised high above his head. For a moment their eyes locked. In the blink of an eye, Odo saw the man Quark was fighting lean back reaching for Quark's feet. He shouted out a warning, but it was too late, Quark tumbled backwards. 

Distracted, Odo's opponent managed to break free and Odo felt the sting of a blow across his left forearm. Cursing under his breath, he ducked under the man's guard and grabbing him by the forearms pinned him against a pillar. 

"I've just about had enough…" he growled and then stopped as he realized the arms beneath his grasp remained solid. He allowed his hands to melt a bit against his opponents skin. The man glanced down at the sensation and whimpered in fear. "But…" stammered Odo releasing him and taking a step back. "You're not…" 

"Die!" said his opponent. Moving faster than Odo would have expected, the man slammed into him sending him against the railing. Vaguely aware of running feet and muffled shouts, Odo tried to right himself but not in time. A blow caught him across his right cheek and sent him to the floor.

* * *

"Faster," urged Julian rounding the corner. They skid to a halt in time to see Odo take a blow to his head that sent him to the ground; Kusaku stood panting, prepared to deliver another blow.

"Kusaku!" cried out sanKe. "Wait!" 

Kusaku paused and glanced their way. "You!" he cried pointing at sanKe. For a moment it looked as though Kusaku was defeated. He stood staring at Odo, who lay prone on the floor. Looking back at sanKe, he finally noticed Julian and Vivian standing there as well. They watched as he threw his sword at sanKe and turned to kick Odo in the ribs. 

"Kusaku, please," pleaded sanKe in reasonable tones. "It's over, old friend. Don't make it any worse." 

"No!" screamed Kusaku grabbing his head with both of his hands. "I have it in my power to destroy you all!" He turned and ran down the hall, entering a room at the far end of the mezzanine. 

"Odo?" asked Julian helping the changeling regain his feet. 

"Not now, Doctor," growled Odo pushing him away and setting off in pursuit.

* * *

"We're all going to die," muttered Quark to himself as he scrambled across the floor on his hands and knees in pursuit of his sword. "And it's all going to be Odo's fault." The thought did not cheer him up. He could hear the Jem'Hadar slicing the air with his sword and knew any second he could expect to feel the blow that would most likely kill him. He just hoped it would be relatively painless.

"Prepare to die little man," said his opponent. 

Okay, thought Quark, this is it. I'll be damned if I'm going to die on my knees. He scrambled to his feet and turned to face his killer. 

A slow smile spread across the face of the Jem'Hadar. He turned to the crowd and raised his arms above his head. "See what becomes of those who dare challenge the might of the Dominion," he shouted. 

Yeah, yeah, yeah, thought Quark, just get it over with. He started slightly as he felt someone grasp his hand and was amazed to find them place the hilt of a sword in his grasp. He turned to find only the unreadable expressions of the people behind him. 

"Psst," said a small voice. "Down here." 

Quark lowered his gaze and spied the diminutive figure of kuJaku. The small jewel maker waived and disappeared back into the crowd. A sudden intake of breath from the crowd alerted Quark to the proximity of the Jem'Hadar. He turned to find his opponent before him, sword raised high above his head. In the blink of an eye, Quark ducked the blow and bringing his own sword up, delivered a resounding blow to the Jem'Hadar's chin.

* * *

Pounding across the length of the mezzanine, Odo burst through the door just seconds after Kusaku, Julian, Vivian and sanKe close on his heels.

They found themselves in an office of some sort; at the far end of the room was a desk. Behind the desk stood Kusaku and in his hand was a gun. 

"Come in," he said his calm voice belying the crazed expression on his face. "And close the door behind you."

* * *

"Please fall down," whispered Quark. "Please fall down."

Staggering back, clutching his chin, the Jem'Hadar, stubbornly remained on his feet. Slowly removing his hand from his chin and looking at it, it was clear to all who watched that blood flowed freely from his chin and over his fingers. With a cry of frustration, the Jem'Hadar swung his sword against a nearby pillar, the wood of the blade splintering in two revealing naked steel beneath. Quark stared at his own sword and desperately struck it several time against the floor in an effort to free the steel he prayed it concealed. 

The Jem'Hadar drew closer, the blade flashing in the lights. Thunder rumbled outside. Quark backed away and in one last desperate attempt to defend himself, swung his sword against a nearby pillar. The wood splintered and the sword broke in two. His heart sank as he realized there was no real sword imprisoned within his blade, all he had achieved was a broken sword and, he suspected, a broken arm. 

His ears detected the crackle of energy just a fraction of a second before a flash of lightening struck too close by for comfort. For an instant the room lost all color, as the Jem'Hadar stood illuminated in stark black and white, the deadly steel of his weapon flashed. The lights flickered. Thunder shook the windows. Quark closed his eyes and prepared to die. 

But death was not swift in coming. He heard the whisper of steel, felt himself being pushed aside, and heard the answering ring of steel against steel. Opening his eyes, he found iSamu blocking the blow that would have killed him. 

"Stand aside, zoRi," demanded the Jem'Hadar. "How dare you interfere!" 

"The contest is over," said iSamu calmly. "Blood has been drawn. You lost." 

"No!" shouted her opponent. "We will fight to the death!" 

"Then you shall fight me." 

The room was filled with the ring of metal against metal.

* * *

They stared at each other across the expanse of the room. Odo took a step forward and was stopped as Kusaku brought the weapon up.

"I know," he said keeping his voice calm. "That my people have done terrible things. But I'm not here to question anything that you have done. I'm not here to pass judgment on you. All I want is for you to let us go." 

"Stay back," warned Kusaku. "I mean it." 

"Of course you do." Odo glanced back at the group behind him. Julian motioned for the others to try to move cautiously for the door. The silence was shattered by a gunshot and as a vase close to Vivian's head shattered into dust. 

"I was prepared for your return," said Kusaku a note of hysteria in his voice. "Special bullets. They explode on impact. Even a god can't escape these." 

"Let us go," said Odo reasonably. "And I promise no harm will come to you." 

"It's too late," replied Kusaku. "sanKe was right. It's over." 

"Then there's no harm in letting us go." 

"No, I suppose not." 

Julian took a step forward and was answered by a second shot that just missed his ear before blowing a hole in the wall behind him. 

"Julian," warned Odo. 

"Point taken." 

"You see," said Kusaku. "It's over, but someone has to pay." 

"These people are not to blame," replied sanKe. "We are. We are the ones who perpetrated fraud by pretending to be the Dominion. Let them go, Kusaku. It's time to go home." 

"But what of the Dominion?" asked Kusaku. "They started all this. Without them, we would never have been put in this position in the first place. Shouldn't they have to pay as well?" 

"No one is to blame for what we did." 

Still reeling from the blow to his head, Odo was only vaguely aware of the argument that raged between the two leaders. All he was sure of was that they were threatened by a madman with a weapon. His mind raced. Four against one, the odds were not in their favor. There had to be some way, but how. He glanced at Kusaku and realized there would be no negotiation, the man was well beyond that. No, he thought, instinct taking over reason, there was only one way. "I will take the blame," he said taking a step forward. "If you let the others go, I'll stay and stand trial." 

"Don't be a fool," replied Julian. "Odo, you can't be held responsible for what the Dominion did…." 

"Julian's right, Odo," agreed Vivian. 

"You don't know what you are saying," warned sanKe. "The charge of treason has no trial…" 

"It's my decision," insisted Odo. "If it means you go free, it's worth the risk." 

"Enough!" shouted Kusaku with a laugh. "Even a god cannot escape his fate." 

"It will mean your death," said sanKe with finality. 

"Then so be it." 

"Founder," announced Kusaku. "For your crimes against the people of Kuru'Tame, I find you guilty of high treason and sentence you to death." He raised the weapon and leveled it at Odo. "Any last words?" 

"Julian," said Odo. "Nerys…" 

"I'll tell her…" 

Odo faced his executioner and felt surprisingly calm. It was, he recognized with a slight smile, the calm of a man who had nothing left to lose. 

Staring down the barrel of the gun, he saw the slight movement of Kusaku's finger as he pulled the trigger. The world slowed as though time itself had stopped. In the fraction of a second that passed, Odo briefly noted the change in atmospheric pressure against his skin as the storm outside raged. The crackle of lightening sent an almost imperceptible sympathetic wave against his substance as the world around him flared suddenly in the stark contrast of black and white. Out of the corner of his eye he caught movement in the window. A large black bird had landed on the sill and in the flash of lightening it changed in an instant to a horse and then to an old man.


	16. Chapter 15

**The Last Temptation of Odo – Chapter 15 **

By 

Creek Johnson and Nance Hurt

* * *

Disclaimer: We are but fleas on the elephants' posterior that is Paramount.

No infringement on their rights is intended. We hope none is taken.

* * *

"In case you haven't heard, Colonel, there's a new wind blowing across…." With a curse, Kira cut the transmission short. For days she had been in contact with just about everyone she knew on Bajor and all across the planet the story was the same.

She thrust her fingers through her hair and sat back in her chair. Damn it, Odo, she thought. Why aren't you around when I need you? Changelings! She kicked the side of the wall in frustration. 

"Changeling!" she said suddenly out loud and laughed. Springing to her feet, she quickly left her office and raced across Ops and into to the waiting turbolift without a word.

* * *

"Fear is a terrible thing is it not?" asked a voice quite close to Odo.

He opened his eyes; slightly surprised he had closed them in the first place. Directly in front of him stood Kusaku, the revolver leveled at him, a puff of smoke hung suspended in air, the bullet stopped in mid flight just inches from the end of the barrel. 

He spun and looked behind him. Julian stood suspended in place as if frozen in the act throwing himself to the floor. Vivian just inches away frozen in the act of reaching for his back, sanKe pressed against the door fear frozen on his features. 

"What the hell is going on?" he demanded to know. 

"Don't worry," said the voice. "You're not dead. Well, not yet." 

Odo turned to find a small and extremely old man standing next to him. "I know you," he said, recognition dawning on him. "You're the man from the shop." 

"One of many incarnations," replied the old man with a nod of his head. "I am Usa. Found your soul yet?" 

"I don't have one." 

The old man shrugged. "Sometimes," he said. "Things are true whether we believe them or not." 

"You still haven't told me what's going on," replied Odo crossing his arms. 

"We were discussing fear and how if you allow it to, it will destroy you." He crossed to stand behind the Kusaku. "It's destroyed this one. And it will destroy you as well if you allow it." 

"Isn't it a little late to be discussing what will or will not destroy me?" 

"Perhaps," replied the old man holding up his finger in a cautionary gesture. "Perhaps even a god cannot escape his fate." 

"I am not a god." 

"How unlike the others of your species you are. I tried to talk to the other one, the Founder, as one god to another, but he refused to hear me…." 

"You?" asked Odo. "A god?" 

"…so blinded by an overwhelming sense of order, so greedy for power, only seeing what was to be gained, he never really understood what was lost in the process. Placing blame on others for his own failings…." 

"And I suppose you are going to tell me that nothing that has happened while we have been on the planet is real, that it's all been part of some grand…." 

"Make no mistake," replied the old man sternly, his voice rattling the windows. "This is real. Very real." He pointed to the gun and traced the trajectory of the bullet with his finger until it touched Odo's chest. "Most deadly real. You have not escaped, my friend, I have only granted you a continuance." 

"Why?" 

"Why? Because I like you." 

"Those whom the gods love, they destroy," quoted Odo. The words struck him as though he had been doused with cold water. 

"Perhaps," the old man said with a laugh. "And perhaps the beloved destroy themselves. You don't seem to need my help destroying yourself now do you?" 

"I have no intention of destroying myself," insisted Odo although his voice belied a measure of doubt. 

"Don't you?" asked the old man circling Odo. "It's a noble gesture certainly. Kill me and let the others go. But my question is this: what is your motivation?" 

"I have no other motivation." 

"Don't you? That is the real reason I wanted to talk with you. You puzzle me, Odo." 

"I'm delighted to hear it." His voice dripped with sarcasm. 

"Yes. By virtue of your species you command tremendous strength and yet you refuse to use it. With but a word, you could have walked right in and assumed command of everything this planet has to offer and yet you did not. You are offered power and wealth and you refuse. Why?" 

"Perhaps I simply do not desire those things."

"Don't be ridiculous." 

"Am I being ridiculous?" asked Usa. "Consider your predicament." 

"I don't understand." 

"Imagine the bullet striking your chest. Imagine it as it explodes on contact, not simply forcefully separating your substance, but vaporizing little bits of you. Imagine how you will feel as each bit crumbles into dust…." 

"I think I've had enough of this conversation…" insisted Odo, suddenly afraid of where the conversation was leading. 

"Consider the pain you will cause the others, knowing they had to stand by and watch you die because you are too afraid to exercise the power you possess." 

"Stop." 

"Think of her, of Kira, as she sits waiting for you…." 

"Enough!" shouted Odo turning on him. 

"…only to realize you never will return. Think of what it will do to her when Julian tells her of your noble sacrifice and what little comfort she will gain from that…." 

"I said enough!" He grabbed the old man and shook him. 

"Think of the Dominion," hissed the old man. "Think of what pleasure they will derive from knowing you destroyed yourself." 

With a growl, Odo raised his hand, all the anger and frustration of the last months welling up within him. 

"Smite me, Odo, do it. You know you can!" 

In that instant, as he stood prepared to tear his tormentor to pieces, Odo realized it was not anger that fueled him, but fear. "I can't," admitted Odo with a sob. He released Usa, his entire body trembling. 

"You're afraid admit it." 

"Yes, I admit it. I'm afraid. Afraid I will kill you. Afraid of what will happen once I allow all the anger that's built up inside of me loose. Afraid I won't be able to stop. Afraid I will destroy everything I hold dear. There, I've admitted it," he said with a sob. "Now, go away and let me die." 

"You wanted to know," said the old man softly. "If all that had occurred since your arrival was part of some grand design. It was, I'm a god, it's what we do. I used you as a catalyst. But I never use anyone without granting some reward." 

"What?" 

The old man reached out and touched Odo. For an instant he felt panic as a wave of emotion washed through him. "Don't fight it Odo," he whispered. "A god should be afraid of their power. Fear is a powerful thing, the only thing that can stop a god from destroying those that they love, is fear. Fear is a good thing, Odo, embrace it, use it, otherwise you will be lost." Odo felt his knees give way as the old man released him. 

"I'm not a god," he said weakly. 

"Perhaps. And perhaps some things are true whether you believe them or not." 

There was a flash of lightening and the roll of thunder. Odo watched as the old man walked back to the window. 

"It's a busy day," he remarked conversationally. "One other thing before I go." 

"Yes?" 

"Don't forget to duck." 

Odo opened his eyes; slightly surprised he had closed them in the first place. Directly in front of him stood Kusaku, the revolver leveled at him, a puff of smoke hung suspended in air, the bullet stopped in mid flight just inches from the end of the barrel. Before Odo had time to blink, the world was back in motion.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding," said Jack looking at Morn over the top of his glass. "You're seriously telling me one of the dabo girls can," he made a vaguely suggestive gesture with his hand. "Just like a shape shifter?"

Morn rolled his eyes and winked. 

"You have no idea who I am, do you?" asked Jack. 

The Lurian shook his head. 

"I thought not," muttered Jack. He glanced over his shoulder at the crowd around the dabo table. "And how would you know about this special…talent…the girl possesses?" 

Morn merely gently elbowed his companion in the ribs and winked knowingly. 

"Yeah? Well, I gotta see this." He turned in time to see Colonel Kira Nerys storm into the bar. She stood on the threshold for a second, before locking eyes with Jack. "On second thought," said Jack. "Maybe now isn't the right time." 

He lowering his hand below the level of the bar he quickly reabsorbed the glass before anyone noticed. "Hello, Colonel…" he began only to be cut off. 

"You. Follow me," ordered Kira before she turned on her heel and stalked out. 

"Just might be my lucky night after all," said Jack patting Morn on the back. He had to trot to keep up with her. 

"Mind telling me what this is all about?" he asked. 

"I said follow me," answered Kira. "Not talk." She headed directly for the Leasing Agent's office, not even pausing to see if the door would be slow in opening. Then again, thought Jack, any smart door would get out of her way as quickly as possible. 

He arrived in her wake to find Ovin Bog at his desk in conversation with a man he knew to be Lt. Commander D. McKinley. 

"Colonel!" said Ovin standing and handing her a padd. "Commander McKinley and I were just waiting for your signature before going over the final plans of the offices." 

"My apologies, Commander," she replied taking the padd and tossing it over her shoulder. She held up the padd she brought with her. "But it appears there is a prior contract on the table for all available space on the Promenade. It breaks my heart to do this," she placed her thumbprint on the padd and handed it to an astonished Jack. "However, from this moment on, you can either set up shop in any unused space in the Station core, or you may consider some space among the storage rooms on the third floor of the Promenade. Or, you may consider sub-leasing from the Centurion Corporation. This gentleman," she said pushing Jack forward. "Is their representative on the Station. Although I warn you, I hold final say over any sub-lease contract the Centurion Corporation may decide to sign. Any questions? I thought not." 

"But Colonel?" asked the dumbfounded Leasing Agent. 

"But what, Mr. Ovin? Haven't you heard? There a new wind blowing across Bajor…." 

"But this is insane," protested McKinley. 

"The universe is a crazy place, gentlemen," declared Kira. "Might as well get used to it." 

She turned to go, pulling Jack to her by the sleeve of his jacket, she whispered in his ear. "Make one wrong turn and I will personally send your ashes back in a bucket, understand me?" 

"Yes ma'am." 

"Very well," she announced dusting her hands off. "Meeting adjourned." 

She was out the door before anyone could protest.

* * *

Odo shifted, sending his substance in a wave away from the bullet and back towards the end of the room, sweeping Julian and Vivian to the floor in a protective cover. He had acted quickly, but not quickly enough, as one of the bullets skimmed the surface of what had moments before been his chest and exploded.

Rolling in pain, he pulled himself together and prepared for a second onslaught. Screaming in frustration, Kusaku fired a second shot, Odo was about to dodge when he felt his feet swept out from under him. 

"Don't be a fool," said Julian as Odo was dropped unceremoniously on his rear, the bullet exploding harmlessly over their heads. "sanKe!" he called out. "Open the door." 

"Four," counted Vivian out loud. 

The terrified Minami looked at them open mouthed for an instant before realizing the door was at his back. With a slight squeal, he flung the door open, only to witness a mass of mangled wood and splinters appear where his head had been just moments before. 

"Five," counted Vivian. 

"sanKe!" shouted Julian. "Run!" 

"I suggest we do the same, Doctor," cautioned Odo. They managed to regain their feet and were out the door as a near hysterical Kusaku ran from around the desk. "Why can't you just die like everyone else?" he shouted to the heavens.

* * *

The Jem'Hadar smiled as muffled shots rang out in the distance. "Too late," he taunted her. "You will never defeat me and your pathetic attempt to overtake the government will fail."

"If you think," replied iSamu, ignoring the trickle of blood that ran down her face. "That I wish to over throw the government then you do not understand the role I play." 

"And what is your role then?" he asked the blade of his sword forcing her to give ground. "Play whore for the freak you call the poDosai?" 

"I could see how a weak, and small minded tyrant could come to believe that," she conceded allowing a little more space to grow between them, calculating the timing, giving him just enough space. 

"I hate to correct you, but as your education is lacking let me explain. My role is to…" she deftly dodged his final thrust. Watching his face, she was pleased to see him realize his mistake just seconds before she stepped under his guard. 

"…is to kill you..." His face was a mask of surprise as the tip of her sword slid neatly into his chest. "And all other swine like you who dare pervert the will of the people." 

She could hear his ragged breath as with his remaining strength, the Jem'Hadar shouted. 

"No!" he cried and raised his sword, only to realize with his dying breath that he no longer held one.

* * *

Pulling the door closed behind him, Julian grabbed a nearby chair and wedged it under the handle.

"That should hold him," he announced and immediately jumped out of the way as the door and its handle erupted in a shower of splinters. 

"Should?" asked Odo. 

"Well at least that was the sixth shot," conceded Julian. "Most revolvers only hold six shots as a rule." 

"That would be Earth revolvers, I take it?" 

"Well, yes." 

They backed away as Kusaku's hand appeared in the hole left by the bullet and groped for the chair. 

"Damn it all," said Vivian. "What fresh new hell is this?" 

"What?" asked Odo. 

"That," she replied pointing toward the opposite end of the mezzanine. They looked in the direction she was pointing to find Ogon pulling himself up into a standing position. He gazed uncertainly in their direction for a moment, before realization dawned on him. He pointed at them and moved his finger before realizing he no longer held a gun. 

"Where's Quark?" demanded Odo. 

"I don't see him," said Julian. Movement from the edge of the crowd drew his attention and he saw a group of men he recognized. Glancing back to Ogon, Julian saw him on the floor on his hands and knees searching for his gun. Leaning over the railing, Julian shouted with all his might. 

"Bandits!" 

They looked up and stared at him. Some tentatively waiving despite the unorthodox way the Doctor had hailed them. 

"Bandits! Revenge!" he shouted pointing to Ogon. 

"Too late," cried sanKe as Ogon leaned against the railing and leveled his revolver. At the same instant, the chair was sent flying as the door to the office burst open and Kusaku appeared his weapon held at the ready.

* * *

Quark ducked as the flash of steel came just centimeters from his face. Cradling his injured arm and hemmed in by the crowd, he frantically tried to get away before he was killed. He did not see the hands that seized him until he had been lifted to safety.

"Careful," said the first man. "Here, Chaho, what kind of Minami is this, eh?" 

"Not a very good one, Bekko," the second one replied. "But he has the heart of a dragon." 

"A dragon, eh?" asked Quark slightly pleased at the description. Muffled shots rang out over the sound of the storm. "What was that?" he asked. 

"It sounded like gunfire," replied Bekko. 

The gunfire ceased for a moment and the men turned their attention to the fight once more, when from above shouted a voice. 

"Bandits!" 

Quark's companions looked up. 

"Aya," said Bekko. "It's the Doctor." 

"Julian?" demanded Quark. "Where?" 

"There." Quark glanced up to see Julian Bashir leaning over the railing shouting and pointing. 

"Bandits!" he called again. "Revenge!" 

"Aya!" shouted Chaho. "It's Ogon and he has a gun." 

He turned to his companion to find him pushing his way through the crowd. Having reached the edge of the ring of spectators, Bekko stopped, startled by the sight of the Jem'Hadar transfixed on the point of the woman's blade. 

Without thinking, he took the sword from the lifeless hand of the dying man and tested its balance briefly before lifting it high above his head. 

"This," he said as he threw the sword end over end toward Ogon. "Is for Chudan."

* * *

"Kusaku, wait," pleaded sanKe. "Please."

Kusaku swung the gun toward his former companion for an instant and then swung it back to face Odo. As a group, they backed carefully away from him, hoping to put as much distance between them as possible. 

"Please," pleaded sanKe again, this time stepping forward and blocking his way. "Listen to me, please." 

"No!" cried Kusaku. "There is no more to be said." He placed the barrel of the revolver against sanKe's head. 

"Odo, no," said Julian grabbing the changeling by the arm to hold him back. 

"Julian," said Vivian pointing across the way. They watched dumbfounded as Ogon steadied himself and aimed his gun directly at Julian. A slow smile crossed the face of the man as he readied to take his revenge, only to have the smile slowly fade. Julian blinked as he realized that from out of nowhere a sword hit the Minami in the chest. 

Ogon clutched feebly at the sword for an instant before leaning against the rail and firing. 

As a group they ducked, not knowing where the shot went. 

"Julian?" asked Vivian not wishing to stand up just yet. 

"I'm fine. Odo?" 

"As well as can be expected." 

"Then where?" 

They heard a cry of anguish and stood to see sanKe bending over the body of Kusaku. Approaching, they realized Ogon's shot had gone wild, striking Kusaku in the forehead. 

In the silence that followed, a large black bird swooped in through one of the open windows and landed on the railing nearby.

* * *

The storm had lasted well into the night. By morning, the stunned and weary crowds had disbursed, leaving the castle strangely quiet in the aftermath.

Pale and streaky sunlight filtered through the open windows. Two bodies lay in state in the room, a single mourner in attendance. 

"I thought I'd find you here," said Vivian. She sat beside him on the low bench. "We received a answer to our distress signal," she informed him although she doubted her words would sink in. "A Vulcan science vessel was passing quite close to here and will arrive tomorrow. They said they would help put the orbiting station out of commission and with a little logical argument, I believe they can be convinced to stay until the elections are over." 

"They were not bad men," said sanKe after a long silence. "Not really." 

"I know," she said reassuringly. "Kusaku could have killed us right away, without explanation, but he didn't. I don't think, even when he had the gun pointed at your head that he would have pulled the trigger." 

"I would like to think you are right." 

"What will you do now?" 

"I don't know," he said with a sigh. "There's nothing for me back home. I thought I might go up into the mountains and build a small house." 

"Why not stay here?" she asked. "The new government will need someone with real experience to make sure things run smoothly." 

"They asked, but I don't know if it would be right after all that had happened." 

"Surely there's no rush?" asked Vivian. "Take your time." 

They sat in silence for hours, sanKe, keeping watch over his friends, Vivian keeping watch over him.

* * *

Quark rummaged through the packs muttering under his breath. He was sure he had left his stash of jewels in one of these packs, but which? Dumping the contents of the last of the packs on the ground he examined the contents. Nothing. Cursing, he turned the pack inside out and threw it to the ground in frustration.

"Behold the poDosai!" said a voice behind him. He turned to find kuJaku standing in the doorway. "Very funny," he groused. "In case you forgot, I lost." 

"But you fought well," said the small man. 

"Yeah, I guess I did at that." Quark reached into the pile of scattered belongings and held forth the shattered remnants of the sword. "Sorry about your sword," he said handing the remnants to kuJaku. 

"I can't accept this." 

"Well I don't have a whole one to give you," replied Quark. "I lost the other one in the fight." 

"No," said kuJaku. "I never deserved your sword in the first place, that is why I can't take this one." 

"Sure you can," Quark insisted. "Look, you may not have been able to win the contest, but you tried anyway, if that doesn't earn you a sword I don't know what does. Besides that, you managed to get it away from me. If I were in your shoes I would have done exactly the same thing. It takes a great man to out Ferengi a Ferengi."

* * *

Julian was restocking his med kit when he heard it - a soft wailing sound from one of the outer courtyards. He cautiously stepped out a side door to find a hunched and forlorn figure on one of the steps.

"Bekko?" he asked. 

"Doctor?" Bekko stood quickly and turned away, wiping the tears from his eyes. 

"What's wrong, Bekko?" 

"It appears I've broken my promise to you and have used my skills to harm another. I've…I've never killed a man before," the Minami confessed. "How can I go home and face my family knowing I'm a murderer?" 

"You're not a murderer," Julian assured him. "You acted in the defense of others. There is a difference." 

"Knowing I acted in the defense of others will not bring Ogon back to life." 

"No, nothing will. But, would it have made any difference to you if you had not acted and Ogon had been allowed to kill me and my companions, for that is exactly what would have happened if you had not stopped him." 

"In the cold light of day nothing makes any difference. I have taken a life in anger; I am no longer an honorable man. My poor wife," replied Bekko. "What will become of her?" 

The faint sound of voices sounded in the hall. Julian glanced up to find Chudan with a short Minami woman. He spoke to her and pointed in their direction. 

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" suggested Julian. 

He stepped quickly back inside as the woman ran forward and threw her arms around her husband. There would be time to talk later.

* * *

She sat at the crest of the hill and allowed her gaze to take in the valley below her. Spring had descended on the valley, but she had no eye for its beauty. The updraft of the warm breeze caught her, ruffling her hair but she felt only the cold despite the warm currents that swirled around her.

She thought of the valley, as it was not long before, a place of wonder and mystery. Of a time when she knew the world and her place in it – before with a stroke of her sword her world had been shattered. 

She felt rather than heard his presence. She shifted her weight to allow her sword to rest more comfortably in the scabbard, but no matter how often she did, the weight was now unbearable to her. "What are you doing here?" she asked without turning her head. 

Odo moved cautiously beside her and perched stiffly on one of the rocks. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He looked older than she remembered, but she knew better than to be deceived by appearances. 

"Toshi told me you most likely would be here," he remarked. "I thought you might like to talk." 

"Shouldn't you be resting?" 

"Julian thinks I am, but I made my escape as soon as his back was turned. There will be plenty of time to rest on the journey back home." 

She had no reply for him, only a profound silence. 

"So," said Odo breaking the silence. "You had no idea that you were the poDosai?" 

"None." 

"Believe it or not, I know how that feels." 

"Look at me Odo," she demanded. "Do you see a child? Do not talk to me of things you know nothing about." 

He looked at her. The calm, placid exterior had vanished over night to leave behind a pale, frightened young woman. "What I see," said Odo. "Is a person so afraid of the tide that she fears downing even while standing at the summit of a mountain. It is her fear that causes her to remain detached from those around her. To isolate herself inside a prison of her own making." 

"Do those ears hear everything?" 

"When I chose for them to." 

"Then you will no doubt remember my saying: I am what I am, I can be no more." 

"You can accept what you are and move on from there. Listen iSamu," he said when she lapsed into silence once more. "You know what it is to be a zoRi and you helped me when I needed it. I know what it is to find out your life was in reality nothing like you expected it to be, and the nasty things that fear can do to you, let me help you." 

Odo thought for a moment she would refuse. Hugging her knees to her, she eventually relaxed and began to talk. 

"I have spent my life in the service of Usa, for that is what the zoRi do, we serve Usa and we seek the poDosai. It's all been a lie and now, in my hour of despair, Usa will not speak to me. Tell me how, in all your experience, you can understand what that is like?" 

"I met your Usa," remarked Odo. "He told me that he never uses someone without granting them a reward. He gave me this to give to you." 

"What?" she asked. 

"Take my hand," he gently commanded. She did so, reluctantly at first. He heard her quick inhalation of breath as a wave of pure and perfect love washed over her. 

"Thank you," she said weakly. 

"He is a god, I understand it is what gods do." 

For hours they sat upon the hill and talked as life in the valley continued on without them.

* * *

The sun was just starting to set as Quark pushed open the gate to the garden. There upon the ground lay the object of his search. Not far away the horse looked up from where it stood and snorted slightly in recognition.

"What are you doing here?" asked Quark picking up the pack. 

He reached in and felt a thrill of panic seize him as he realized the pack was empty. He searched the ground around the pack and found nothing but a few discarded dolls and well-chewed bits of cloth. 

"All right," he demanded of the horse. "What did you do with them?" 

The horse bared its teeth and stuck out its tongue. Quark barely caught the glimpse of a fire ruby before the horse closed its mouth and swallowed. Then giving a jaunty swish of its tail, it ambled towards the garden gate. 

"Not so fast," cried Quark slamming the gate and baring it with his body. "You aren't going anywhere until I get my jewels back."

* * *

While in front of the castle the closing ceremonies of the Spring Festivals raged amid shouts and lights, the back courtyard on the castle remained calm and solemn save for the occasional echo of sound and flash of light as fireworks exploded above. A lone figure sat upon the top step of the staircase, the only indication of his presence was the outline of his body made visible in the occasional flash of a firework explosion.

"Where have you been?" asked Quark as he approached. "We've been looking for you everywhere." 

"Go away Quark," replied Odo. 

"You're missing the celebration." 

"I don't feel much like celebrating." 

"Want to know the truth?" 

"No," said Odo with a sigh. "But I imagine you are going to tell your twisted version to me anyway." 

"I don't feel much like celebrating, either." Quark sat down next to him. 

"Oh?" asked Odo slightly surprised. "Why not? I would have thought you would be in your element. The adulation of the crowds, the speeches, the gifts…." 

"I do like the gifts…." 

"the women… 

"I do love the women on this planet…" 

"Selling splinters from your sword to the souvenir sellers…." 

"I thought of that, but I gave the sword away…." 

"It's a long story," conceded Quark catching Odo's glance. 

They sat in silence for a while. 

"You know," said Quark eventually. "I never understood why you react so badly to being considered a hero. I just thought it was you…." 

"I'm not in the mood, Quark." 

"But then again you've had more practice at it than I have…" 

"Quark." 

"I mean all I was doing was defending myself. You? You just rush on in without thinking and…" 

"For the last time, I am not a hero!" shouted Odo. 

"And why not?" 

"Because," replied Odo, his voice wracked in misery. "I've never done anything you might consider heroic for selfless reasons. I've always had what you would call…an angle." 

"There's nothing wrong with that." 

"Isn't there? Do you want to know why I promised to return to the Link?" 

"Because it would end the war and you could go home at the same time. I imagine it appealed to your sense of order." 

"Partially that," conceded Odo. "But I also realized that the longer the war went on the more likely it became that those I cared for would be killed. Don't you see? I didn't give a damn about all the other people who had died or who would die. I just didn't want…" 

"Morn to die?" 

"Exactly." 

"And you think you deserve to be punished for that?" asked Quark. "So you agree to stand trial for the crimes of your people not because it would mean the rest of us went free, but because you think you deserve to be punished?" 

"Both actually." 

"And you think that makes you any less a hero?" 

"Doesn't it?" asked Odo. 

On the balcony above two figures stood in the darkness and listened. 

"Well," whispered Julian softly. "That certainly explains a lot about the both of them. Do you think we ought to let them know we are here?" 

"No," replied Vivian, taking him by the arm and leading him away. She paused in the doorway a thought long buried suddenly coming to mind. 

"What?" asked Julian. 

"This last temptation is the greatest treason," quoted Vivian. 

"Excuse me?" 

"To do the right act for the wrong reason." She met his blank stare and laughed. "T.S. Elliott," she explained. "High school English class. Murder in the Cathedral." 

"Well, that does go a long way to explaining Odo," replied Julian. "But, my dear Mrs. Landis, I don't think anything could fully explain you." 

A voice drifted up from the steps below. 

"You know Odo," remarked Quark. "Some things are true whether you believe them or not."


	17. Chapter 16

**The Last Temptation of Odo – Epilogue **

By 

Creek Johnson and Nance Hurt

* * *

Disclaimer: We are but fleas on the elephants' posterior that is Paramount.

No infringement on their rights is intended. We hope none is taken.

* * *

The Promenade was crowded with revelers. Kira stood in front of the Temple and held aloft the ceremonial flasks.

"Tersa Peldor impatri bren," she announced. "Bentel vetan ullou sten." 

As she poured the oils, a stream of burning fluid poured down the spout into the brazier below setting the contents alight. The crowd erupted into applause. 

"And now, I give the honor of placing the first Renewal Scroll to our special guest this evening, Tesla Freedom, the first child to be born on Bajor after the Occupation." 

Kira stepped back to allow the somewhat awkward ten year old girl access. Amid applause, she tossed her scroll into the fire. "And now," announced Tesla in a voice that cracked with nervousness. "As the scroll burns, may all our troubles turn to ashes with them." 

From his vantage point of the second floor, Odo's eyes never left the object of his affection. He watched as she surveyed the crowd, bestowing smiles to some, nodding in acknowledgement to others. Noting her reaction as she caught sight of Julian and Vivian in the crowd, he found himself giving in to an unworthy impulse. As he watched her eyes eagerly scanning the crowd on the upper level for sight of him, he took a step back and disappeared from view.

* * *

Kira dejectedly wandered down the all but deserted corridor, her Renewal scroll hanging limply in her hand, her hopes dashed. Ever since they had received the message from the Vulcan science vessel she had lived in anticipation of this day, of being once more in the shelter of his arms, only it appeared she was once again destined to live with disappointment. She wondered idly what she had ever done to the Prophets to make them determined to keep her from attaining any sort of balance where her heart was concerned. Approaching a brazier, she contemplated the scroll and with a shake of her head started to toss it in.

"You might want to reconsider," said a voice nearby -a voice that caused a slight thrill to run through her body. 

"Constable?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. 

"Colonel," he replied stepping out of the shadows beyond the brazier. To her heart sore eyes, he looked different somehow. Tired yes, but some how, more in command of himself. They stared at each other in silence, the fire flickering between them. 

"The Vulcans said that only three of you were returning," she stammered. "Since you didn't send a message, I assumed you had decided to stay." 

"Quark stayed behind," replied Odo. "Julian introduced him to some of the local wine merchants, last time I saw him, he was knee deep in negotiations." 

"Oh." She bit her lip and stared into the fire for a moment deep in thought. Sweet Prophets, thought Odo, she is lovely. 

"Odo," she said suddenly and meeting his gaze for an instant stopped and lowered her eyes again. "If I ever did anything…if I somehow wasn't…if I let you down…" 

"I'm a fool," he announced cutting her off. "And I never have deserved you." 

Relief washed over her as her eyes scanned his face. All the anger, fear, bewilderment and frustration that had marked his features since his return to the station were gone to be replaced by eyes that only gazed upon her with tenderness. "I don't think either of us should talk about what we do or do not deserve," she replied, suddenly feeling shy. 

"No," he agreed. "I suppose not." 

"But Odo," she continued, not looking at him. She was determined to clear the air between them, despite her overwhelming joy at his return and the apparent change in his mental state. "You've been so unhappy for so long, and while you were away things have occurred that will most likely just add to that misery, I can't help but feel…" 

"Nerys," he said softly interrupting her. "Just hear me out, please." 

She nodded in agreement. 

"All my life," explained Odo. "I've only truly believed in three things: Justice, you, and that one day I would return to my people. The order of importance of the three changed as I changed. Then over night everything was turned upside down. The people I thought were mine weren't. No matter how hard I sought it, there was no justice to be found as far as what the Dominion did to me or to the Alpha Quadrant. And that left only you." 

"I see," she said softly. 

"No, I don't think you do," he continued. "The thought of there only being you, terrified me." 

"Odo," she said taking a step around the brazier toward him. 

"No," he pleaded taking a step in the opposite direction, determined to keep some distance. "What I suffered I can only describe as a crisis of faith." 

"You?" 

"Yes. I knew what I believed. I knew you loved me, but I also knew the fear and anger that had built up inside of me could destroy us both. I was terrified not that you would leave me, or that someday you would die, but that some dark day I would destroy us both. Not physically, I could never do that, but emotionally. That one day, we would look at each other through a veil of anger and resentment and it would be my doing." 

"And what's changed?" she asked, knowing that she had left the same fear lingering in the back of her mind. 

"I did," he replied with a slight smile. "I have come to accept that as long as I recognize the possibility it can happen, only then, can I can prevent it from happening." 

"I see," she replied. "Must have been some trip then?" 

"It was." 

They smiled at each other across the flames. 

"I almost forgot," said Odo eventually. "I brought you this as a souvenir." He extended his hand and in it she saw a small green stone strung on a length of leather. In the light of the fire, the stone glowed as green as artic ice. As she watched a small shower of golden sparks swirled above the stone. 

"Odo," she breathed almost afraid to touch it. "It's the most beautiful thing I've seen." 

"Thank you," he replied and for a moment she could have sworn he blushed. 

"It's incredible. What is it?" 

"It's supposed to be my soul," he replied softly. "Not that I believe I possess one, but if I did, it would be yours." 

As she reached out to take his hand, he heard her quick inhalation of breath as a wave of pure and perfect love washed over her.


End file.
